


all eyes on you

by callistawolf



Series: The Fall 'Verse [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Laurel Lance is Dead, NaNoWriMo 2016, Romance, Season 2 Rewrite, Tommy Merlyn is Alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-09 00:29:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 91,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8868877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/pseuds/callistawolf
Summary: When the team learns that Slade Wilson is alive and in town and his vendetta against Oliver is also alive and well, everything in Oliver’s life is turned upside down. Is his fledgling relationship with Felicity strong enough to handle the fallout?





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity spend their first Christmas together as a couple. Unfortunately, it means getting friendly with the less-than-friendly Moira Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The sequel to “ready for the fall” and my NaNoWriMo 2016 fic! This story is 17 chapters long and I’ve completed writing it. My beta is currently helping me with the edits. My update schedule, as planned right now, is going to be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. That means the next update will be posted on Monday morning. I don’t tag updates here on Tumblr but if you want to be notified, you can subscribe on Ao3 and they’ll send you a lovely email. Or just keep an eye on my Tumblr and my Twitter, updates will be announced there as well. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this. I had a good time getting my fingers dirty in the back half of season 2! .... Wait. That sounded dirty. 
> 
> BIG thanks to my beta, @the-silverforked-sky. She had exams and she STILL found time to edit this chapter for me. Also, thanks to everyone who supported me and cheered me on during NaNoWriMo. It meant the world to me.

The entire first floor of the mansion was split into two distinct smells. Towards the rear of the house where the kitchen was located, it smelled like vanilla and sugar. And towards the front of the house, the smell of fresh cut pine permeated every room, even his father’s old study. Fresh pine boughs hung from every available surface and an enormous Christmas tree dominated the living room, filling the windows there. The space underneath the tree looked barren without all the gifts stacked there; they’d opened them all that morning. Well, all but the couple of packages Oliver had placed there for Felicity. She had yet to open hers but that would come later.

“There you are!” a familiar voice said from the doorway to the living room. Oliver smiled as he got to his feet and turned to face his oldest friend, Tommy Merlyn. The other man was also smiling, making the corners of his dark blue eyes twinkle, matching the sweater he wore. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder as Oliver approached. “Raisa let me in the kitchen entrance.”

“Looks like I’ll have to speak to her about letting in just any old riff-raff,” Oliver said with a grin. 

“Ouch!” Tommy struck a fist against his chest, feigning offense. “And ‘riff-raff’, Ollie? Really? Was your island located in the 1950s?”

“Shut up, Tommy,” he replied as he faced his friend once more and embraced him in a hug which was readily returned. “And Merry Christmas.”

“To you too, buddy.” He let him go. 

“How’s your holiday been so far?” Oliver asked. 

Tommy smiled. “Good. I spent last night and this morning with my mother’s family. Lots of kids in the house, but it made things kind of fun,” he admitted. Tommy’s aunt still lived in Starling and while Malcolm had severed all ties with that side after Rebecca’s death, Tommy had remained close. 

“I can’t even imagine.” And he couldn’t. It’d been so long since he’d spent any time around little kids. Oliver was surprised at the warm tugging in his chest that he felt when he contemplated what Christmas morning would be like with little kids around. 

“Glad to be here now, with my _other_ family,” Tommy said meaningfully. He looked around the living room curiously. “Where is short, blonde and gorgeous? I thought she’d be here by now.”

“Felicity is on her way,” Oliver said and fought the urge to check his watch. She really should have been here by now. But he also knew she was nervous about formally meeting his mother, especially given that it was the holiday. Even a holiday she didn’t personally celebrate. 

“How are things going with you two? It’s been almost a month since you finally got your head out of your ass. This has to be a new record for relationship longevity for you since you’ve been back,” Tommy remarked. 

“Things are _great_. I know it probably sounds cheesy, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

“You’re right, it _is_ cheesy.”

Oliver couldn’t even be annoyed at the jabs, that’s how happy he was just even thinking about what the last month with Felicity had been like. As he’d predicted to Felicity, John Diggle noticed they were together within an hour of when they met up at the foundry the morning after the debacle with the Count. The man missed nothing. And, also predictably, Dig had immediately instituted a no-sex-in-the-foundry rule whether he was there or not. 

Of course, Oliver had only seen that as a challenge. Sex in the foundry had happened six days later. It would have happened sooner, but Felicity needed to be coaxed into forgetting Dig’s rule. She could be quite stubborn when she set her mind to it. But so could he and Oliver had been particularly motivated. Especially when Felicity wore that amazing dress with the cut-out right above her breasts. 

If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she’d worn it specifically to taunt him. 

That was also the day they’d met Barry Allen. He was a young CSI from Central City who had come to Starling when news had reported about a suspicious robbery in QC’s applied sciences warehouse. He’d shown up while Oliver and Dig were there with Detective Lance and Felicity had been filled in on the details when she’d joined them on her lunch break from Merlyn Global. Though Oliver had been suspicious of the young man at first, Felicity had spoken up for him, urging Oliver to give him a chance. She could always see the good in people before he could and Barry ended up being no different. In fact, he ended up saving Oliver’s life after he’d gotten injured fighting a souped-up Cyrus Gold. 

Remembering that, Oliver’s heart sank again. Cyrus had been infused with Mirakuru. Oliver knew it. And Roy had been injected by the man in the skull mask too, before Oliver could stop him. The man had escaped but Roy had lived so he supposed that was as good an outcome as he could have hoped for, given the circumstances. Barry Allen had gone back to Central City, but not before leaving Oliver a new mask to wear with his Arrow gear. It wasn’t until the next day, that Felicity found out Barry had been struck by lightning shortly after the STAR Labs particle accelerator had exploded. Or, as she’d put it, “malfunctioned”. Poor Barry was now in a coma and Felicity was pretty down about it. She and Barry had bonded and been on their way to becoming good friends, geeking out together over things Oliver couldn’t even begin to understand. He wanted to cheer her up, do something to make her feel better about the whole thing, but he was at a loss. Maybe he could talk to Tommy, get some advice about what to do. 

Looking at Tommy now, though, he could see his best friend had something on his mind. He looked suddenly uneasy and that wasn’t a familiar look on Tommy Merlyn. 

“What’s bugging you?” Oliver asked. 

“It’s just… there’s something I should probably tell you. I don’t really want to tell you because I don’t want you to punch my face in. We’re getting along so well now, after everything, and I don’t want to lose that. But at the same time, I don’t want to keep anything from you either, even if it’s not really a big deal. And I promise you, it’s not a big deal.”

Oliver blinked. That was a babble more reminiscent of Felicity and coming from Tommy, left him a little stumped. “What?”

“I kissed Felicity.”

He blinked again. He already knew this, of course. Felicity had told him the night he’d come to her. But it was rather interesting that Tommy felt he should know and was also nervous about it. “Okay,” he said simply.

Tommy held his hands up. “Before you fly off the handle and stick an arrow in me, it was before you two got together. Almost two months ago, now. Before you went on that trip to Russia. After Sara popped back up.”

Now, Oliver grinned. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his stance. “Tommy, it’s okay.” 

“She was feeling down about Sara and upset and confused about you and her feelings for you— Wait. What? ‘Okay’?.” Tommy looked baffled which just made him want to laugh.

It wasn’t that he liked the idea of Tommy kissing Felicity. He didn’t want _anyone_ to kiss her but him. The jealous beast that he kept contained within him wanted to rear his ugly head and roar his anger over the thought of anyone even thinking about touching her. But, at the same time, he knew this was before he and Felicity had become an official ‘thing’, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t understand wanting to kiss Felicity. 

“Felicity told me,” he said with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t super thrilled to hear it, but, I get it.”

Tommy blew out a nervous breath and laughed a little. “You’re not mad?”

Oliver shook his head. “No, I’m not mad. I’m glad you felt you should tell me, that means a lot to me. And I know you two are friends. I’m _glad_ you two are friends. From what Felicity has told me, you were a great help to each other last summer.”

“We were. Well, she was for me. I don’t know how I would have gotten through those early weeks without her there, checking up on me.”

“She told me she needed you just as much. So I’m grateful for that. As much as I regret having skipped town and left her feeling that way to begin with,” Oliver said with a shrug. 

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, Ollie,” Tommy said. “If I’ve learned anything from Felicity, it’s that doing that does no good.”

“Yeah, I’ve kind of noticed that’s a theme with her.” Oliver didn’t even try to fight the smile. Thinking about Felicity did that to him. 

“There you two are,” Thea said, sailing into the room. “Raisa mentioned you were here, Tommy, but I didn’t see you in the kitchen stealing any fudge.”

Tommy gave her a lopsided grin. “I value my hands, Ms. Queen, and I know Raisa would have relieved me of them if I’d tried to steal a nibble before its time.”

“So what are you guys up to?” she asked. 

“Hey, Thea,” Tommy greeted and he stepped forward to hug her. She sank into his embrace. 

“Good to see you here, Merlyn. It’s just not Christmas without you.”

“Hey! What about me?” Oliver asked, faking indignation.

Thea released Tommy and smirked at him. “You’re all right, I guess. But I think Tommy is my favorite.”

Tommy grinned and Oliver harrumphed. 

“When’s Felicity getting here?” Thea asked. “We need to even out the females in this house.”

“She should be here any minute,” Oliver said, once again feeling a bit antsy. This time, he couldn’t keep himself from checking his watch and wincing at the time. Where was she? It was Christmas Day, his favorite holiday from when he was a kid and he wanted nothing more than to spend it with her. But he couldn’t do that unless she actually _came_. 

“Now, Thea, go easy on him. He’s pining for his girlfriend.” 

At least it made her grin but Oliver wasn’t sure he cared for the jab at his expense. Thea noticed his expression and he must have looked annoyed because she put a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Ollie. I know you really like her. And you know what? I like her too. I got to know her last summer and she’s really genuine. Sweet. Honestly, nothing like the girls you used to date, thank God.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is a compliment! I’m sorry but some of the girls you dated before the island were atrocious.” 

“Not all the ones since the island were great either,” Tommy supplied. “Remember that crazy psycho, Helena?”

Oliver turned to him, betrayed. “I thought you liked Helena! What about McKenna, what was wrong with her.”

“Are you kidding me? The woman threatened to kill me. Or did you forget that part?” Tommy asked, then he shrugged. “They weren’t right for you. Neither of them could hold a candle to Felicity.”

Well, Oliver couldn’t argue with that. In fact, now that he really thought about it, he had a hard time believing he’d ever convinced himself that having relationships with either of those women was preferable to having one with Felicity. Sure, he’d barely known Felicity when he met Helena, but McKenna? He’d asked her out _after_ Felicity joined the team. Felicity had even coaxed him into asking her out! The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. He’d have to ask her about it sometime, though maybe not tonight. Because Felicity was officially an hour later than she was supposed to be here and he knew it was because she was worried about dinner with his mother. 

Looking to change the subject, Oliver turned to Thea. “Is Roy coming tonight?”

Thea’s eyes widened. “Oh heck no. Listen, Mom might have played nice with him when she was still in prison but I’m just not sure I’m ready for the full family dinner thing yet.”

“Is he alone tonight then?” 

She shook her head. “No, he’s with Sin. And I told them I’d be over later to hang out.”

Tommy’s eyebrow’s shot up and Oliver’s brows drew together. “But you’ll be staying here tonight, correct?”

“Ollie,” Thea began. 

“Thea,” he returned, mimicking her tone.

“Listen, big brother, I’m a grown woman and I can spend the night with whomever I choose to.”

“I don’t have to like it,” Oliver grumbled. 

“Honestly, you not liking it is half of the appeal.” 

That made Tommy laugh. 

“Who’s side are you on?” Oliver asked his best friend. 

“I’m on my side,” Tommy said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. 

“Aww, he’s all grumpy now,” Thea said, patting his arm. 

“Felicity better get here soon and iron out his attitude. This is no way to spend Christmas,” Tommy added. 

Oliver glared at the both of them. “I need Felicity here, if for no other reason than to have someone who’ll defend me.”

“Who are you kidding, Ollie,” Thea asked. “She’d be with us.”

Oliver hated to admit that she was probably right. And yet, it didn’t bother him. Because he adored how well Felicity got along with his sister and best friend. He checked his phone to see if she’d contacted him yet. Nothing. 

“Speaking of, I’m going to give her a call,” Oliver said, excusing himself. 

“Give her a kiss from me!” Tommy called to him as he walked out of the room, already slipping his phone from his pocket. 

“I think you already handled that!” Oliver called back as he lifted the phone to his ear. 

***

Felicity’s hands shook as she stepped out of her Mini Cooper and closed the door behind her. It wasn’t the noticeable chill in the air that had her shaking either. This was 100% _nerves_. She grabbed the shopping bag full of wrapped gifts from the trunk. As she locked up her car, parked off to the side of the circular driveway in front of the Queen mansion, Felicity chastised herself for letting those nerves get the better of her. She was stronger than this. And it wasn’t like she’d never met Moira Queen before. Sure, the matriarch had looked at her like she was something under a microscope, but Felicity hadn’t been dating her son at the time, had she? 

Slamming her eyes shut, Felicity tried desperately to convince herself that Moira’s judgement wouldn’t be _worse_ now that she _was_ dating her son. 

She walked up to the front door and hesitated, shifting the bag in her grasp. Should she knock? Or ring the doorbell? Surely she wasn’t at the stage where she could just let herself in yet. Felicity took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and knocked. It was just a holiday spent with her boyfriend’s family. No big deal. And Thea and Tommy would be there and they liked her just fine. Plus Oliver, who _definitely_ liked her just fine. 

She was almost finished coaching herself when the enormous front door swung open. Oliver stood there, looking absolutely amazing in a pair of relaxed jeans and a festive-looking fair isle sweater. In a flash, her nerves dissolved. He swept her up in his arms, causing her to drop the bag. Oliver didn’t seem to care, however, he just held her tighter. Felicity buried her face into his neck, breathing in his aftershave and feeling at peace for the first time all day. 

“Hi,” she whispered into his skin. 

“Hey,” he answered, finally slowly lowering her to her feet. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I’m sorry you had to call me,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed. She’d been standing in her bedroom, indecisive over two different dresses, when he’d called to ask what was keeping her so long. “It took me a bit longer to wrap the gifts than I was expecting,” she said. 

Oliver clearly didn’t believe her. He bent down to grab the bag from where she’d dropped it. “Come on, let’s go in and we can have some drinks with everyone.”

Everyone obviously included his mother. Felicity tried to quell the butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach and followed Oliver dutifully inside the mansion. She tried, very hard, not to gawk at the splendor that was just the entry-way. She’d been to the mansion a couple times since knowing Oliver but this was the first time it felt like someone’s _home_ to her. Even if it did still look a bit like a museum. Or a castle. A castle museum. 

She smoothed the skirt of her conservative red dress before they stepped into the sitting room. There, relaxed on the chairs and sofas that were placed around the enormous Christmas tree, were Moira, Tommy and Thea. They’d all been talking but the room fell quiet as she and Oliver entered. 

Moira stood up and crossed the room to greet them. She wore an impeccable white pantsuit, with gold jewelry and her hair was perfectly styled, as per usual. She looked like she could have stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine and Felicity felt her anxiety rising yet again. 

“Felicity, it’s lovely to have you here with us. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better” Moira greeting, taking her hands in hers and holding them. Her tone was polite but formal. The matriarch turned fond eyes on Oliver. “Thank you for convincing her to join us for the holiday.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Queen,” Felicity said, wondering if she should curtsey. 

“Please, call me Moira.” She released Felicity and gestured towards the empty sofa next to the chair she’d been perched in when they entered the room. “Come, have a seat.” 

Moira wasn’t exactly warm and welcoming, but she was polite so Felicity supposed she should be grateful for that at least. They both sat and from there, it was easy to calm down. Oliver brought her a glass of red wine, he drank a scotch, and they sat and talked and reminisced. Felicity mostly just listened to the others as they talked about past holidays. It was soothing, as the sun went down, to listen to the chatter, watch the fire in the fireplace and sip her wine. Soon, she forgot whatever nerves she’d had going into this. 

The light outside the windows was turning purple and dusky when Raisa came into the room to tell them dinner was ready. Moira led the way into the dining room and Felicity had to prevent herself from gawking at the opulence she found in there. The table was long, a dark rich wood that gleamed under the light of the crystal chandelier.Fine china was laid out at each place, with more utensils than Felicity rightly knew how to handle. She knew she was blushing as Oliver pulled out a chair for her to sit in and then took his seat next to her. Tommy sat across the table from her and Thea next to him with Moira sitting, appropriately, at the head. 

The food was served by the staff and that felt odd enough for Felicity all on its own. Oliver didn’t look the least bit bothered and why would he? This is the way he grew up. It reminded her of all the differences between their backgrounds. It was quite a miracle that they’d come together at all, she supposed. 

Fancy as the food was, it was also delicious. Felicity tried everything and tried to savor each bite and sip of wine as she listened to the conversations going on around the table. She was content to continue on like that, silently observing the interactions but then Moira focused in on her and Felicity felt like a bug underneath a magnifying glass. 

“Tell me, Felicity, how did you and your mother celebrate the holidays when you were growing up?”She sipped from her chardonnay and continued to watch Felicity cooly from over the rim of her glass. 

Felicity wiped at her mouth with her linen napkin and then shifted in her seat. “I was raised Jewish, so it was nothing like this.”

“I am aware of your heritage. I was just curious about what your own traditions were like.”

She could feel her cheeks heating. “Oh. Well, there wasn’t much, my mother wasn’t interested the more Orthodox celebrations. She raised me on her own, and she worked long hours but there wasn’t a whole lot left over for holidays. We lit the candles each night of Hanukkah and had a nice meal on the last night. Some years we gave each other small trinkets for every night but some years we saved up for a big present at the end. That’s when we were lucky though, some years she had to work and there wasn’t time for Hanukkah.” Felicity looked around, a little flustered that everyone was watching her so closely. “It was okay, just… different from this.” 

Everyone looked vaguely uncomfortable and Moira looked unreadable. She continued to watch Felicity and the silence grew weighty before Oliver spoke up. 

“That’s probably a good thing,” he said, rubbing a hand down her back. “Things weren’t always storybook perfect here either.Remember the year we ruined the school Christmas play, Tommy?”

Tommy glanced at Felicity before smiling at Oliver and nodding. “You mean that time in the fourth grade? When we pulled our pants down on stage and mooned the audience?”

Thea snickered. “I always loved that story.”

“Yes,” Moira said, her voice cool. “Not one of my more fonder memories, actually. I’m glad you both have finally grown into fine young men.”

Despite Moira’s obvious distaste, the tension around the table lifted some and Felicity smiled gratefully at Oliver. 

The dinner continued much in the same vein. Great food, and some fun stories shared by Tommy and Oliver and even Thea. But Moira was cool and distant and while Felicity tried to relax and enjoy herself, she couldn’t help but feel she was to blame for the woman’s frosty attitude. Her nerves returned in full force, causing the rich meal to sit heavily in her stomach. 

As soon as the meal was finished, she excused herself to use the washroom and in there, gave herself a good talking to in the gilded mirror that hung over the porcelain sink. She really _shouldn’t_ let Moira get to her like this. The woman didn’t define who she was, as a person. And she didn’t define her relationship with Oliver either. But she was his mother, like it or not, and Felicity had to try to keep the peace. She could _do_ it, even if it meant bringing up long-dormant insecurities of hers. 

So Felicity squared her shoulders, gave her reflection a stiff nod, and left the washroom. She was surprised to find Oliver standing near the door, clearly waiting for her. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I just needed—“ She trailed off and shrugged, not having a good answer. 

Oliver nodded. “I get it. Mom was… out of line with you. I’m sorry, Felicity.”

He looked so remorseful that Felicity’s heart went out to him. She hated for him to be in the middle like this. She put a hand to his cheek, feeling his stubble scratch her palm. “It’s okay, Oliver. It wasn’t so bad and the dinner was nice.”

“I just… I wanted this to go well. I wanted to share this holiday with you.”

“You are sharing it with me, Oliver.”

“Come with me?” he asked, holding out a hand. 

She slipped her hand into his and followed him as he lead her through the hallways. They entered the sitting room, which was dark now save for the fire in the fireplace and the lights on the Christmas tree. The room was empty. 

“Where is everyone?” she asked. 

“Thea wanted to watch a Christmas movie in the media room. I told them we’d join them in a little bit.”

He lead her over to the tree where he bent down to retrieve a couple of wrapped gifts. Seeing his intention, Felicity jumped up to grab her bag full of gifts and brought it over to the sofa where they sat next to one another. “I forgot to hand these out earlier,” she said. 

“We’ll bring them into the media room when we’re done here,” he told her. 

“Okay, but you’re getting yours now.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a gift, passing it to him. 

He smiled as he held the gift, looking at it with something that resembled wonder on his face. She watched as he carefully peeled off the wrapping, folding it and placing it to the side. He opened the box and she held her breath, hoping that he’d like what she’d picked out. 

She’d bought him a new sweater, soft and the same blue as his eyes. She’d thought of him the moment she saw it at the department store. Oliver’s eyes lit up as he pulled it out and held it up. 

“Do you like it?” she asked. 

“I love it. I’ll think of you each time I wear it,” he promised, his eyes shining as he smiled at her. 

“There’s something else,” she told him, gesturing at the box. 

Oliver set the sweater aside and looked again, pushing the tissue to the side. At the bottom of the box sat a hand-tooled leather keychain, embossed with his initials. Attached to the keychain was a key to her apartment. His eyes widened as he picked it up, studying the key. 

Felicity felt her cheeks burn and felt a little unsure in the face of his mute reaction. “I just thought… you might like a way to get into my apartment. You know, other than parkouring up to my window.” She grinned. “You’re welcome there anytime, you know. I just thought, it’d be easier.” She shrugged. 

Oliver looked at her and before she could blink, pulled her into his arms. His arms hold her close and he whispered his thanks into her ear. And now she was blushing for a whole other reason. He let her go, but still held her in his arms. His eyes were definitely glittering as he smiled down at her in the darkened room. 

“This is the best gift anyone has ever gotten me,” he told her seriously. He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. 

He held her in his arms as though she were made of spun glass, carefully and firmly, and she felt cherished and protected there. She cupped his face, pushing her fingers into the soft, short hair at the back of his head and enjoying the rumble he made when she lightly scratched her nails against his scalp. His lips moved over hers, slowly at first, and then more restlessly as he kissed her deeper, stoking the latent fire inside of her that never seemed to be fully doused when she was in his presence. His tongue glided over hers and she made a whimpering moan unconsciously, which made him start to push her back onto the sofa. 

Felicity was tempted to see where this impromptu make-out session took them, but on the other hand, she didn’t want anyone finding them in here like this, especially Moira. So she gently pushed back on Oliver and he quickly got the hint, moving up off of her. 

He was breathing heavily as he pulled her up, his eyes dark and his lips parted as he watched. “Sorry, I just—“

“Shh, I know.” She placed a finger over his lips. “I just don’t think this is the time or place to be losing our heads.”

He had the grace to look a little bashful. “It’s hard, with you, not to lose my head.”

Felicity grinned. “Same, mister. You do some pretty amazing things to my body.” She blushed bright red, her eyes going wide. “I did _not_ mean for that to sound as dirty as it did. Apparently you do some amazing things to my brain too, making it short circuit!”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Can I do some of those things later?” he asked. 

“Sure, when you bring me home.”

“We could… I don’t know, stay here?”

Felicity bit her lip. It was tempting, but… “I don’t think so… I don’t think I’d feel comfortable doing _that_ here. With your mother under the same roof.”

“Even if my bedroom is soundproof?”

She chuckled. “Even then.”

Oliver sulked a little and she tugged on his arm. 

“Come on. Give me my gift already, I’m dying of curiosity.”

Oliver reached around her to grab the wrapped gift he’d set on the table next to the sofa. He handed it to her. It was small and light and her heart skipped several beats. His eyes were warm on her as she tore the wrapping off, slightly more violently than he had, and tossed the paper to the side. She opened the box to find a gold necklace inside. A small heart charm hung from it and she noticed, upon closer inspection, that it opened. There was a hidden catch and flicking it, the locket fell open. Inside was a tiny arrow, embossed into the heart. 

Felicity blinked back tears as she studied it. “Oliver… it’s _beautiful_.” 

“Here. Turn around so I can put it on you.”

She closed the locket and handed the necklace to him, turning so her back was facing him. She pulled her hair to the side, giving him access and shivered a little as she felt his fingers at the back of her neck, fastening the clasp. A moment later, she felt warm lips brush against the same spot and he turned her around. 

He kissed her again, but kept the contact light and chaste. Felicity sighed against his mouth has he drew back. 

Smiling, he got to his feet and pulled her up with him. Then he let got of her hand and, as she watched, pulled off the sweater he was wearing. He dumped it on the sofa and grabbed the one she’d given him, pulling it over his head. Felicity smiled, stepping forward to smooth it over his chest. She was right… it _did_ match his eyes beautifully. 

“I love it,” he told her. 

He pocketed the keychain in his jeans and then took her hand to lead her to the media room. 

“What’s the movie?” she asked, leaning against him as they walked. 

“A Christmas Story. Tommy’s favorite.”

“I haven’t seen it in years,” Felicity admitted. 

“It’ll be fun,” he promised.

“It’ll be fun because I’ll be snuggled up with you, watching it.” 

She ended up being absolutely right; there was no better place to watch a classic Christmas movie than curled up into Oliver’s side. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity ring in the new year together and take a little trip to Central City to meet a friend... and make some new ones while they're there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is joining me on this sequel journey! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far! A lot of you have been asking after Slade already and I just want to explain that this fic follows the timeline of season 2b of Arrow fairly closely. I'm not saying there aren't changes to what happens, but then WHEN of things happening is still pretty much the same. And at this point in canon, Oliver didn't know about Slade yet. So he's still looming on the horizon. ;) 
> 
> BIG thanks to my tireless beta, the-silverforked-sky. She's a gem who puts up with me.

A week later, it was New Year’s Eve and Oliver was determined to make things up to Felicity. Not because Christmas had been especially bad, but there was no denying that his mother had put a bit of a crimp in the occasion. Felicity just hadn’t been able to fully relax and enjoy herself with Moira there and that made Oliver feel so disappointed. He tried talking to his mother about it the next day but she absolutely had not been open to hearing it. 

At least Thea loved Felicity, he could take some comfort from that. The two had gone out shopping together the day after Christmas and Felicity had really enjoyed herself. In fact, she’d suggested they spend New Year’s Eve with Thea and Roy and Dig and Lyla and Tommy, too, but Oliver had selfishly wanted Felicity all to himself. 

But he didn’t want to bring her to the mansion, given that his mother was there. Felicity wouldn’t even sleep over with his mom there and Oliver’s plans for this night definitely involved sleeping over. Except maybe with not so much sleeping. Yes, he had lots of plans. 

So he was using the foundry to set up their private party for two. He’d spoken with Dig already, both agreeing to take the night off hero work. Dig was going to spend it with Lyla and Oliver was going to lock the foundry door. And turn off the phones. He’d unplug the computers too if he didn’t think Felicity might murder him for touching her babies. 

He hung up little lights he’d taken from the mansion, masking the ugly exposed structure of the basement and creating a little romantic ambiance. He picked out a playlist on his phone to plug into the speakers and set the mood. He’d put in an order with Felicity’s favorite restaurant and the food was going to be delivered to the club. Tommy was supposed to knock on the door when it arrived. 

Oliver had even crafted a “nest” of sorts on the sparring mats… lots of fluffy blankets and pillows for them to recline on and enjoy their meal. Enjoy each other. 

He checked on the wine and the champagne chilling in a bucket and a moment later, the door at the top of the stairs beeped open. His heart leapt; it had to be Felicity. No one else would be able to bypass the lock. He rushed to the bottom of the stairs and saw her walk in, carrying a few bags of food. 

But he didn’t notice the food. What he did notice was the dress she was wearing. It was black, and short and was missing more chunks than it possessed; or at least that’s how it looked to him. Paired with the tall silvery heels, she looked like a temptress. But all for him. Oliver stood at the bottom of the stairs, just gaping at her, as she carefully made her way down.

Her hair was down and curled around her shoulders but she wore her glasses, those same familiar glasses that he loved on her. She looked soft and beautiful and sexy. 

“Hey there, handsome,” she greeted as she reached him. Oliver took the bags of food from her and leaned forward to peck her lips. 

“You look incredible,” he said as she drew back and he stepped aside to let her move past him into the foundry. 

“Thank you. I like this look on you too,” she said, plucking at the sleeve of his rolled up button-down shirt as she moved past him. She stopped about three steps in and gasped. 

“Oh my goodness, Oliver! You’ve transformed it!”

Without the harsh overhead lights on and the soft twinkle of the fairy lights, the foundry looked completely different. No longer dank and utilitarian, it was cozy and romantic. He stepped up and put a hand to her lower back, guiding her further so she could see the nest he’d set up on the mats. 

“I had plans,” he murmured, bending his head a bit so he could press a kiss underneath her ear. 

“I see that,” she replied, turning around and pushing up on her toes to kiss him. 

Oliver wanted to pull her against him, deepen the kiss, touch her, make her shiver and moan. But he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. 

“We should eat first,” he told her. 

“You’re no fun,” she pouted, her lower lip poking out temptingly. He wanted to kiss it. But that was for later. If he got sidetracked now, all his plans would go to hell. 

“I got you your favorite capellini pomodoro,” he told her.

Her eyes lit up, her smile instant and infectious. “Really?”

“Yes, really.Come, Ms. Smoak, your meal awaits.”

He lead her over to the makeshift nest and helped her find a comfy spot to sit amongst the pillows. He set out the food on plates, poured the wine, started the music. Everything was perfect, even the food. Oliver tried not to noticed how Felicity moaned as she ate her favorite pasta dish, instead concentrating on his own chicken parm. They chatted while they ate and Oliver felt so at peace, so _happy_ , that he knew he had to ask her the question he’d been wanting to ask her since Christmas night at his family’s mansion. 

He got the opportunity just after they’d finished eating. Felicity pushed aside her plate and groaned, patting her stomach. 

“That was delicious, but I think I ate too much,” she said. 

He set his own empty plate aside as well and scooted closer to her. “How about a toast?” he suggested, raising his glass. 

Her eyebrows went up. “Aren’t you supposed to do that before you start eating?”

He shrugged. “To us.”

“To us,” she echoed, clinking her wine glass against his. They both took a long sip, watching each other over the rims of their glasses. 

“These last few weeks with you are the happiest I’ve ever been,” he told her. 

“Me too,” she said quietly, her eyes twinkling in the low light. 

“I want so many things with you, Felicity. I feel like I can finally have some sort of future.”

Felicity knew how broken he’d been just last year, how he’d been waiting to die serving his father’s mission. She knew just what a big deal it was for him to be looking forward to the future. 

“Oliver, that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

“I want to start looking for an apartment of my own.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? Oh, Oliver, that’s great! I can help you look if you’d like.”

He leaned over and brushed a soft kiss against her lips, enjoying how she sighed at the contact. He pulled back only far enough to look into her eyes. “I would like that, mostly because I am hoping you’ll want to live there too.”

There was a pause and it felt like the air was sucked out of the moment. Oliver watched, confused, as Felicity’s eyes darted away from his and she pulled away further from him, sitting back on the pillows. 

“Felicity?”

“Isn’t it a little… soon?” she asked. “I mean, we’ve only been dating for a little over a month…”

“Yes, and we’ve known each other for over a year,” he reminded her. He sat up but kept his hands to himself, despite wanting desperately to reach out and touch her. 

“Moving in together is such a _huge_ thing, Oliver. It changes things,” she told him. Then she smiled a little. “The mystery would be gone.”

Oliver didn’t tell her that he wanted that mystery to be gone and he wanted things to change. He wanted to have arguments over towels in the bathroom, and who’s turn it was to do the dishes and when was the last time the garbage went out? He wanted to wake up with her next to him every morning and fall asleep with her every night. He wanted her in his life like that. But how could he tell her that without overwhelming her? Because he knew Felicity and he could tell she was close to feeling overwhelmed. 

“I want to take all the big steps with you, Felicity. I love you and I want you in my life,” he said. 

Her eyes softened. “I love you too, Oliver. I just don’t think we’re ready yet. I don’t want to rush things for us because I want us to last.”

“I want us to last too.”

“We have time, don’t we? We can take our time and get there together, can’t we?”

There was a small voice in Oliver’s head that was shouting that time was fleeting. That everything could turn upside down in an instant and more time was never guaranteed. He swallowed down all his desperate protests. He did not want to pressure her. That’s not what this was about. 

“I just want you by my side, Felicity. Whatever you’re comfortable with, I can be okay with,” he assured her. 

“Are you sure?” she asked, scooting closer to him. She placed a hand on his knee. “You get a say in this relationship too, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“I can be patient, Felicity,” he said. He _was_ disappointed but he wasn’t going to let that disappointment ruin this night for them. He wasn’t going to push her away when all he wanted was to pull her closer. 

“You’re the best boyfriend,” she told him, smiling. 

Oliver smiled back. “I still want you to come look at apartments with me. I want your seal of approval,” he said. 

She nodded. “I’d be happy to. After all, I expect to be spending some quality time there… though probably mostly in the bedroom.”

His heart quickened at the suggestion in her voice. “Better make sure it’s a nice bedroom then.”

“We’ll need lots of natural light. Plenty of room for a big bed.” She moved towards him, climbing into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her there. 

“We don’t need a bed right now, do we?” he asked. 

One of her eyebrows lifted. “I think we can improvise,” she replied, slipping her glasses off and setting them to the side of their makeshift nest. 

Oliver didn’t need any more encouragement. He moved swiftly, taking Felicity with him, laying her back onto the blankets and pillows. He found the zipper at her side and pulled it down, revealing even more smooth and supple flesh. He stroked his fingers over her smooth skin, enjoying how she shivered at his touch. 

Felicity arched and shifted, allowing him to pull the dress from her body, leaving her in just a skimpy pair of black lace panties. His throat went dry as his eyes traced feverishly over the smooth lines of her legs and hips and waist… up over her perfect breasts with their pink tipped nipples. 

Oliver wasted no time in leaning down over her and taking one of those nipples into his mouth, circling the tip with his tongue before sucking lightly. With his hand, he toyed with the other breast, tweaking the nipple and making Felicity arch her back and sigh. He moved off of her breast, kissing up her neck and sucking on the sensitive skin just under her jaw while his fingers moved down to her apex. Her panties were soaked already and he pushed them aside so he could rub his fingers along her slit, gathering her wetness, feeling her heat. 

Sex with Felicity was like nothing he’d experienced before. Considering all the sex he’d had over the years, that was saying something. She made him feel more than just lust, desire, pleasure. She made him laugh and think and feel… When her focus was on him, he felt like he was the only thing that existed in her entire universe. And when he was focusing on her, he felt like he could move mountains because of the way she responded to his touch. Being absolutely in love with the woman he was having sex with, it turns out, made _all_ the difference. 

“Please,” she begged, lifting her hips into his touch, trying to encourage more from him. 

Oliver grinned as he pulled his fingers away and tugged her panties down her long, slender legs. Getting her to beg him always made his blood pump harder and hotter. Once she was naked underneath him, he dipped his head and began to kiss along her body, tasting all the places on her that he knew drove her wild. 

But Felicity was on a hair trigger tonight. The moment his breath brushed against her core, she grabbed him by the face and yanked him up, crashing his lips to hers. She kissed him hard and hot, her tongue tangling with his. Making Felicity beg was a cherry on top, but making her go wild? That was the whole sundae. 

He kissed her back, swallowing her moans and enjoying how she melted underneath him, her body hot and pliant. It wasn’t long before he felt her fingers plucking at the buttons on his shirt and he knew that time for teasing was over. He was hard as a rock, throbbing for her, and while he delighted in controlling his own arousal in order to build hers, he also knew that he was nearing the edge of that control. 

He moved off of her, making her whimper a little. Grinning, he quickly stripped off his shirt and pants, kicking his shoes and socks to the side. He was in his boxers when he recalled the condoms he’d stashed in his pants pocket. He retrieved one quickly and knelt next to Felicity. Her eyes were lidded and dark as she watched him slowly slide his boxers down, freeing his cock. He loved the way she looked at him, like she thought he was beautiful. Once his boxers were gone, he handed her the condom and grinning, she pushed up on her elbow and tore the foil. 

Felicity loved to slip a condom over his length. She took her time, teasing him with her fingers, stroking over all the sensitive spots, lingering on his balls for just a moment longer. As soon as he was covered, he pushed her back, and she grinned at his show of roughness. Oh yes, his girl liked it rough too. 

God, this woman was amazing. 

Using his legs, he pushed her legs apart and she eagerly opened for him, wrapping those legs around the back of his thighs and pulling him towards her. As if he needed the coaxing. He held himself over her with one arm, using the other hand to guide his dick towards her entrance, dragging the sensitive head through her juices, bumping her clit, before finally starting to edge inside her welcoming body. Oliver loved to watch her face as he sunk into her, the way her eyes would flutter, her lips would part and her breathing would catch. She kept her eyes on him, letting him see everything there, the love and the desire and the vulnerability. Never had he felt so connected to someone. 

He was big and she was tight, so he always waited a moment for her to adjust before setting the rhythm. This time, he took it slow but he kept his thrusts hard. From the way she cried out at each jolt and grabbed at his shoulders, digging her nails into his sweaty skin, he could tell she enjoyed it. He kept up that steady, pounding motion, keeping his eyes on hers, joining them together in more than just body. 

Soon, though, the need to find his release began to wear at his control. Felicity was writhing underneath him, trying to urge him to speed up. The sweat was standing out on her forehead, the blush extending down her chest towards where they were joined. Oliver used his hand to reach down, to feel him pushing in and out of her body, the wetness coating his cock, the thick vein throbbing underneath his touch. 

Felicity cried out sharply. “Touch me!” she begged. 

Oliver was happy to oblige, moving his fingers to her clit and circling it, rubbing it, timing his movements with the steady pounding of his cock. Her clit was swollen and throbbing and he couldn’t resist pinching it as Felicity’s moans in his ear grew louder and her body began to stiffen underneath him. 

“C’mon, baby. I want to feel you come for me,” he growled, knowing full well how much she loved when he used that growly voice on her. 

Felicity arched underneath him, her neck elongating and a cry issued from her throat, echoing off the walls and ceiling of the foundry and sounding like music to his ears. Her body clamped, her inner walls squeezing his cock, shooting sensation right up his spine. Oliver lost the hold he had on his control and thrust into her quickly one, two, three more times before he stilled, spilling his release and burying his face, and his moans, into her neck. 

They lay like that for a moment, and he could feel Felicity’s chest rising and falling beneath him as she fought to catch her breath. Her hands smoothed over his back soothingly. Oliver breathed in the warm, sweaty but sweet smell of her, happy to stay buried in this woman for as long as he possibly could manage it. 

A pinging noise disturbed the moment and Oliver lifted off of her, groaning as he pulled out of her welcoming body. He shifted to the side, coming down on the pillows and blankets there. 

“What is it?” he asked as Felicity got up from the nest and padded over to her computers. He removed the condom, tying it off before getting up to dispose of it in the garbage. Then, he joined her where she was peering at her screens, squinting without her glasses. 

“I had an alert on here,” she murmured. “To let us know when it was nearly midnight.”

Oliver relaxed, a smile overtaking his face. Of course. “Well, that calls for the champagne then.”

He crossed back to the nest and picked up the bottle of bubbly from the bucket of ice. Felicity joined him, a couple of plastic flutes in her hands and still beautifully, gloriously naked. She watched as he opened the bottle, the cork shooting off into the rafters. 

He poured them each a serving and then set the bottle back in the bucket. She handed him his glass and touched the rim of hers to his. 

“To the new year,” she said. 

“It’s not time yet,” he pointed out. The display on her monitor, which she had enlarged, showed thirty seconds left. 

“Do you think this next year will be as good as the last one was?”

Oliver paused, thinking. He thought about the Undertaking and how it had felt like the worst moment in his life. But then he thought of all the good that had come after, how Felicity had the courage to love him despite all his flaws. Yes, the last year _was_ a good one, all told. 

“Even better,” he promised. 

As the monitor counted down the seconds, they counted along. When the clock turned over to 12:00am, they both looked to one another, their noses just barely brushing. “Happy New Year,” she whispered to him and he whispered it back. Then, Oliver kissed her softly and passionately, wanting the first minute of the new year to be about them and their connection to one another. Felicity returned the kiss eagerly. 

They sipped their champagne and returned to their nest, to plan out all the ways they intended to make this new year the best one yet. Together. 

***

At the train station in Central City, a week after New Year’s, Oliver and Felicity caught a cab. Oliver instructed the driver to take them directly to the hospital. The sun was shining, belying the cold chill in the January air, as their driver steered them through the busy streets of downtown Central City. Felicity sat close to him, her arm entwined with his, watching out the window. 

They’d come because she felt they should, she wanted to see Barry and pay her respects, if nothing else. The poor guy was still in a coma, but Felicity had chattered his ear off all the way down from Starling about how people in comas could sometimes hear people talking to them. 

Oliver might not want to admit it, but he was worried about Barry too. The young man had helped them all out considerably when he’d been in town and he _had_ saved Oliver’s life. From everything Felicity had told him about the particle accelerator explosion, Barry was lucky that he hadn’t been killed like so many others had. But that was a small comfort when he was laying in a coma and his family was distraught with worry. 

The ride in the cab took less than ten minutes and they both walked into the hospital together, hand in hand, after paying the driver. They hurried up to the ICU and quickly found a nurse’s station where they were able to inquire about Barry Allen from an available nurse. She let them know that it was visiting hours and directed them to Barry’s room. They were told only one of them could be in the room at a time so Oliver let Felicity go in while he waited in the waiting room at the end of the hall. 

He was sipping at the truly terrible cup of coffee he’d just poured from a vending machine that looked like it was from the last century when he noticed a couple of young people enter, chattering to themselves. He was all set to ignore them when he heard them say the name Barry. 

“Excuse me, are you here to see Barry Allen too?” he asked them. 

Both of them turned to look at him at the same moment. One was a young woman, about Felicity’s age, with brown hair and soft brown eyes. The other was a young man, also about Felicity’s age, with shoulder length black hair and a friendly, open expression. Except right now, both of them were looking at him as though he’d just sprouted a second head. 

“Wait… aren’t you Oliver Queen?” the young man said. “ _The_ Oliver Queen? From Starling City?”

Oliver chuckled as he stood up and walked over to the pair, holding his hand out. “The one and only.”

The young man shook his head, looking a bit awestruck as the woman beside him made an apologetic face. “I’m sorry for Cisco, he’s forgotten his manners. Yes, we are here to visit Barry Allen. I take it you are too?”

Oliver nodded and shook her hand too. “Yes.And you are?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking herself visibly. “I’m Caitlin Snow. This is Cisco Ramon. We both work for STAR Labs.”

Oliver recalled Barry and Felicity talking about STAR Labs when he was in Starling with them. And he also recalled the news reports about the particle accelerator explosion and how it was caused by STAR Labs. As far as he knew, though, Barry worked for the Central City Police Department, not STAR Labs.

“Did you know Barry?” Oliver asked. 

Cisco and Caitlin exchanged a look before Cisco answered, “Not really. But we know that his accident was basically caused by that explosion. So we’ve been coming here regularly to check up on him.”

Oliver thought it was a little odd but a good gesture that they cared about the victims of this accident. “Has he improved any, do you know?”

Caitlin shook her head. “Not yet. But they’re keeping a close eye on him. How did you know Barry? You’re from Starling and, if you’ll forgive me, kind of famous.”

“Barry came to Starling a few days before the lightning strike. My girlfriend and I met him and he worked, uh… with us. On some research,” Oliver said, just barely catching himself before giving away more than he intended.“We became friends.”

“It’s nice of you to make the trip to see him then. Your girlfriend must be who’s in with him now?” Caitlin asked. 

“Yes. Felicity Smoak. She should be out in a minute so one of you can go in,” he said. 

As if on cue, Felicity walked in, her own cup of terrible coffee clutched in her hand. Oliver made some quick introductions and Felicity looked very interested in meeting people who worked at STAR Labs. It turns out, Cisco Ramon was just as interested to meet _her_ , the VP of Applied Sciences at Merlyn Global, whose division was currently dominating quite a bit of the business and tech news that he followed. Caitlin left to visit Barry and Felicity and Cisco got immersed in some tech talk that Oliver didn’t even try to understand. But Felicity was sitting next to him, holding his hand and running her thumb over his knuckles. So, all told, he was pretty happy to just be there, by her side. 

***

Felicity was on her second cup of truly terrible hospital coffee and she didn’t think she’d be finishing it. It was just _that_ bad, because Felicity was never one to turn down a second cup of coffee.Cisco had just come back from visiting with Barry and Oliver was having his turn, so she was leafing through one of the three year old magazines that littered the tables in the waiting room. Caitlin had left the room to call her boss at STAR Labs ( _the_ Dr. Harrison Wells!!!) and fill him in on Barry’s condition while Cisco was going to check out the offerings at the cafeteria so Felicity was on her own. 

She felt restless. It was good seeing Barry; it set something at ease that had been upset since she’d first heard of his accident. But it was also unsettling seeing him like that, so still on the bed. He could have been sleeping, but she knew better. It was sad because Barry was so full of life, so full of ideas… she felt a kindred spirit in him, in all his nerdy glory. 

Finally, she set the coffee and magazine aside and got up from the uncomfortable chair. She paced a little before leaving the waiting room. She wasn’t going to go far, she just wanted to explore a little and get rid of some of this nervous energy. 

She walked the hall until she noticed a blonde woman in front of her, a doctor judging by the white lab coat she wore, having a hard time juggling the stacks of papers in her arms. She had the rim of a styrofoam coffee cup gripped in her teeth and was muttering around it as a sheaf escaped her arms and fell to the floor. Felicity hurried forward to retrieve it for her. 

“Here you go,” she suggested, holding it out to her. Then, she noticed that the poor woman had no extra hands to take it. “Actually, can I help you?”

The woman nodded eagerly, her whiskey-brown eyes looking relieved and Felicity gingerly scooped some of the papers from her arms, shuffling them into order. Finally, the doctor was able to remove the cup from her mouth and speak. 

“Bless you, you’re a saint,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t know what I was thinking trying to handle all of that in one trip.”

Felicity grinned. “I’ve done it plenty of times myself, you’d think I’d learn.”

The woman drained her cup and tossed it in a nearby garbage can. “I can take those now.” 

“I don’t mind helping, just lead the way.” 

The woman smiled and started down the hall again, towards the busy nurses station. “Visiting a patient?” she asked. 

Felicity nodded. “Yes. Barry Allen.”

“Ahh, the lightning guy. He’s not mine but I’m familiar with the case. Poor guy.”

“I’ve only known him a month but he already feels like a long lost friend to me,” Felicity admitted. “My boyfriend and I are from Starling, we came down to visit him.”

“Starling?” The doctor looked interested. She stopped at the nurses station and dropped the papers she’d been holding on the counter before taking what Felicity had been carrying for her and depositing that sheaf as well. “You live there?”

Felicity nodded. “Yes, we do. I’m Felicity Smoak by the way,” she said, sticking her hand out. 

The woman shook it. “Michelle Fowler. I’m a resident here but I’m going to be transferring to Starling General in a few weeks. I got a position on staff there but I’m a bit nervous about the move.”

“Nervous?” Felicity asked. 

Michelle bit her lip and looked a little sheepish. “I keep hearing about crime in Starling, gang violence and… a vigilante? I don’t know… is it safe?”

“I won’t say it’s not with its perils but… violence and crime isn’t all Starling is about. There’s some great stuff there. And… the vigilante actually makes it safer.”

“I just see all these news reports about him dropping bodies and battles in the streets…”

“The vigilante is a good guy. I’ve… I’ve actually been saved by him. A few weeks ago, a lunatic took me hostage and he came to save me.”

Michelle’s eyes rounded. “Wait… was that the thing at Queen Consolidated with the drug maker who got dropped out a window? I saw that on the news!”

Felicity suddenly felt like a minor celebrity. Her cheeks heated. “I would have died that night if not for the Arrow. That’s what he’s going by in the papers now. He keeps an eye on things, watches out for the people who need help.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad…”

“Its pretty awesome, actually,” Felicity assured her. “Then there’s the museums and the riverfront, which is getting revitalized…and Starling’s China Town has the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

“What about sushi? Because I need quality sushi in my life.”

“Hiroba, just on the edge of the Glades, has the most amazing dragon rolls,” Felicity assured her. 

Michelle grinned. “Sold. You know what, Felicity, I think you and I might just get along.”

“Anyone with good taste in sushi is good news in my book. And hey, now you can say you know someone in Starling.”

“Be careful before you promise to be my friend, Felicity,” Michelle warned her. “I’ll be over at your house all the time, eating ice cream, bemoaning my pathetic love life and watching stupid movies on Netflix.”

“Throw in a bottle of red wine and that sounds like a perfect Saturday.”

Michelle laughed. “The only thing keeping you from being completely perfect is you said you have a boyfriend.”

“Sorry,” Felicity said with a smile. “It’s a pretty recent development.”

“Does he have a brother?” she asked hopefully. 

That made her laugh. “No. But he does have a best friend?”

“Hey, Felicity.” Oliver had impeccable timing, sauntering up to her and sliding an arm around her. 

“Done visiting with Barry?” she asked. 

He nodded and then turned to her new friend, smiling. “I see you’ve been making friends.”

“Yes, Oliver, this is Michelle Fowler. She’s moving to Starling to take a position at Starling General in a few weeks. Michelle, this is Oliver Queen, my boyfriend.”

Michelle was staring at Oliver with a look that Felicity knew well. It thrilled something within her that so many people looked at Oliver this way… but he loved _her_. 

After she shook Oliver’s hand she turned back to Felicity, her smile lightening her eyes, “Wow, so you said he has a friend, huh?”

They left the hospital shortly after that, taking a cab to a nearby hotel where they planned to spend the night. They were both quiet during the ride, which wasn’t unusual for Oliver, but she noticed that his attention seemed to be drawn away a little. He looked out the window of the cab and while he held her hand, Felicity started to worry a little. 

They hadn’t spoken much in the week since New Year’s about him asking her to move in with him. They’d looked at a few apartments together and he hadn’t brought it up again. She knew he’d been looking forward the idea of them taking this step. She simply didn’t feel ready yet, she didn’t want to rush things and risk ruining what was a very good thing. 

Still, she felt a little guilty and couldn’t help worrying that Oliver was more than just mildly disappointed. 

“Oliver?” she asked. 

He turned his head to look at her. “Yeah?”

“Are you upset that I said I’m not ready to move in together yet?”

He regarded her for a moment. Then he smiled warmly. “I’m not upset, Felicity. I’m disappointed, but I understand why you want to wait.”

“Are you sure? I just—“

He bent forward quickly, pressing a kiss to her lips. Felicity gasped at the sudden contact but soon relaxed and as soon as she did, he drew away. He brushed his fingers over her cheek, rubbing under her chin briefly. 

“I’m sure, Felicity. Right now, I’m just happy to be with you.”

When he said things like that, Felicity felt it down to the marrow of her bones. There was a part of her, a very big part, that was still so cautious and hesitant. She knew what it was like to have security and love taken away. But Oliver’s steady love was beginning to smooth those past hurts away. Bit by bit, little by little. That was scary too. 

“I’m so lucky to have you,” she said softly. 

He smiled, one of those beautiful and formerly rare smiles of his, “I think you have that backwards. I’m the lucky one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious, I tried to model Michelle Fowler off Patti Murin. Cuz reasons, that's why. 
> 
> Also, I'm currently feverishly working on a Christmas fic. I want to have it completed and ready to post by Christmas but I don't know if I'll manage the whole thing in time. Regardless, I'll post whatever I have so far by then and the rest soon thereafter. Be on the lookout for grumpy ghost Oliver in that one! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team starts to worry about Roy and Oliver opens up to Dig and Felicity about the island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What does it say that I nearly forgot to post a chapter today? What day is it? Who am I? What story is this?? LOL! The kids are on winter break and I'm breaking my neck trying to get my Christmas fic done in time. I'm afraid this fic has gotten comparatively little attention from me. But that's okay. THANK YOU to everyone who is reading this, commenting and encouraging it. It really does mean the world to me. I worked hard on this puppy last month. 
> 
> @the-silverforked-sky is working hard on it THIS month, doing tireless beta duties and making me think even deeper about the story and the characters and I so dig that. So a BIG thank you to her too.

A few weeks later, it was business as usual in the foundry. Oliver was still hunting for the man in the skull mask, the one who had injected Roy with that… stuff. Oliver didn’t seem to know what it was. Or if he knew, he wasn’t saying. Instead, he focused on searching for the one who’d done it. Felicity kept an eye on Roy, at Oliver’s urging. He’d told her to watch for violent mood swings. So far so good, Roy and Thea were as close as ever and Roy seemed to be fine. 

Sebastian Blood was running for mayor, since the copycat vigilantes had killed the former mayor back in the fall. He seemed like a decent man, someone who truly cared for the city. Oliver publicly endorsed him, soothing some of the ruffled feathers between the two from a few months back. 

Felicity was getting on at Merlyn Global Group, enjoying her new responsibilities. She met with Tommy often and he would occasionally join her and Oliver for lunch. She was making waves in the business world, being noticed by the media and business analysts. She was even asked to be profiled in Forbes magazine, which Tommy had been thrilled about. Not just for the company’s image (which could use the PR bump), but for Felicity. He insisted she deserved every minute of attention. 

One day, as January was shifting to February, Felicity was coming to the foundry after her long day of work at Merlyn Global. She usually parked around the side of Verdant and let herself in the alley entrance since that was easier to access without having to go through the club all the time. She was just locking up when she heard some loud voices. It took her a moment, but she recognized them as Roy and Thea. They were arguing. 

Felicity edged closer, peeking around the edge of the brick wall to where the loading dock for Verdant was. Roy was there, with Thea in front of him. He had his fists clenched and his jaw looked so hard and set that Felicity wondered how he didn’t crack his teeth. Thea was standing with a hip cocked, her arms folded, her expression accusatory. 

“Why won’t you tell me what the hell is going on?” she was saying. 

“Thea, drop it,” Roy replied, his voice a growl. 

“No! You’re going to tell me. Why did your arm heal so quickly from that cut? You had a shard of glass sticking out and a few minutes later, you were fine. That doesn’t just _happen_.”

“I don’t know, okay!” he exploded. “Would you just leave me alone about it?’

Thea seemed to soften at that. “Roy… I just want to help you. Something is bothering you, I can tell, but I can’t help unless you talk to me.” She stepped closer and touched his arm. 

Roy flinched so hard that his arm shot out, catching Thea off guard. She fell backwards, catching herself against a pile of crates. Roy looked horrified immediately and he started to back away from her. “Thea, I’m so sorry!”

“What is going on, Roy??” she pleaded. 

“Just… give me some space. I’m not good for you right now,” he muttered quickly before hurrying back into the club. After a moment, Thea dusted herself off and hurried after him. 

Felicity stepped back and tried to comprehend what she’d just seen. Oliver needed to know about this right away. She hurried to the alley entrance and let herself inside, hoping that Oliver was already there. 

She got her wish when she heard the rhythmic slapping that indicated Oliver was working with his sparring dummy on the mats. Felicity hurried forward. “Oliver, I need to show you something.”

He stopped and looked up, breathing hard. He wasn’t shirtless, unfortunately, but the shirt he wore was dampened with sweat and he looked positively good enough to eat. Felicity had to force her mind away from that to focus on the matter at hand. She gestured towards her computers and Oliver followed her. 

Felicity swiftly brought up the security camera footage for the loading dock and scrolled back in the footage until Thea and Roy were on screen. She let the video play, audio and all, and sat back in her chair while Oliver watched. She noticed his jaw tick as Roy quickly lost his temper. 

When Thea rushed off, Felicity halted the playback and turned to Oliver. He was pacing away from the computers and then back towards her again, his body rigid with tension. Felicity felt uneasy, so many questions filling her mind about what could possibly be going on. She’d given Oliver plenty of room to tell her what this was all about on his own but she was running out of patience and she had a feeling they were all running out of time. 

“Oliver,” she began quietly. “What is going on with Roy?”

He stopped with his back to her and she saw his shoulders slump. “I think I need to train him,” he said. 

It wasn’t answering her question, but Felicity was so stunned by what he’d said that she let that go. For now. “Train him?”

“He’s unfocused and confused. If I train him, it’ll help him control himself.”

“So you’re going to bring him onto the team?” she asked. 

Oliver turned back around. “I didn’t say that.”

Felicity huffed with frustration. “So what is your plan, then? To suit up with your mask and train him in an abandoned warehouse?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Oliver… I know you want to keep your distance with him, but if he’s as delicate as you say he is, maybe that distance will do more harm than good. Roy might need someone he can trust and I think you could reach him a lot easier if you showed him who you were, brought him down here, introduced him to Dig and I and brought him on board.”

Oliver shook his head. “No. That’s not a good idea, not with the state of his mind right now. I’m not going to risk you and Dig.”

Felicity stood up and walked to him. “Oliver. Keeping secrets is a terrible idea. You could end up making things worse with Roy by keeping the truth from him.”

“I need to work with him first,” Oliver said. “I need to get a better idea of where his head is at, see if I can find out what his triggers are.”

He headed for the showers to clean up after his workout and Felicity called after him. “Eventually, you’re going to need to tell me what’s going on, what he was injected with.”

“First, I need to get that kid under control,” Oliver called back over his shoulder. 

Felicity sat back down with a frustrated sigh. Oliver had made so many strides in the last few months since coming back from the island for the second time but sometimes it felt like he was still that broken man back on the island, hiding from the world. She wondered if that would ever change. 

***

The next day, Felicity rushed into the coffee shop down the street from Merlyn Global. She was a few minutes late, but hoped that Michelle wouldn’t hold it against her. Glancing quickly around the shop, she saw her new friend seated at one of the tables near the rear. She waved at her, gesturing towards the counter where she was going to order her drink. Michelle smiled and nodded, lifting her own cardboard cup in greeting. 

Her meeting with the other heads of the technology departments had run over and though she’d been able to shoot Michelle a quick text letting her know she’d be a few minutes late, Felicity still felt bad for keeping the woman waiting. 

She ordered her usual drink, a large non-fat vanilla cappuccino, no whipped cream, extra shot of espresso. While she waited for the barista to craft the beverage, she scrolled quickly through her texts and emails. Nothing from Oliver, which was a little disheartening. Things had been tense between them since the day before. She was still annoyed at him for wanting to keep secrets and he was still… brooding about it. 

Felicity knew that Oliver had plans to meet with Roy later this afternoon to start training him. He’d gone up to Verdant directly after his shower the day before, dressed in full Arrow gear, and confronted him out in the alley behind when Roy went to take out some garbage. Felicity would have preferred he approach the boy as himself, as Oliver Queen, and extend the invitation that way but Oliver was set on doing this his way. 

Frustrating man. 

The barista handed Felicity her steaming drink with a smile and she thanked her before heading back to the table Michelle had saved for them. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Meetings are the worst,” Felicity said as she plopped down in one of the chairs. She took a long drink of her caffeine, appreciating the jolt of sweetness. 

Michelle shrugged. “It’s okay. I was enjoying doing a little people watching.” She was wearing her scrubs underneath her winter coat which she kept on. This coffee shop always kept their thermostat a little on the low side, to offset the fireplaces that decorated the table area. But the nearest fireplace was too far away to provide any warmth to this particular corner of the shop. “Plus I’m just enjoying being able to sit down for a change. I love the new job but I’m on my feet seven hours a day.”

“So you’re liking Starling General so far?” Felicity asked before taking another sip of her drink. 

Michelle had been in Starling ten days now. Since then, the two of them had met for coffee three times, including this particular visit. They texted often and had even talked on the phone the night before. Felicity didn’t want to jinx it, but she thought she might have a new friend.They had an easy rapport between the two of them and it was the first time since her days at MIT that Felicity had someone that was so in sync with her and her interests. 

“Yeah, I think I am. I actually like it better than Central’s hospital,” she admitted, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “The nurses are nicer and I feel like I actually have some respect from them and my fellow physicians.”

“And how’s the apartment hunt?” Michelle was staying in a hotel for the time being, until she could find a more permanent place to live. 

“Less than successful, unfortunately. I think I might be looking in the wrong areas. Or maybe my standards are a bit high…” She chewed her lip and looked pleadingly at Felicity.

She grinned. “I can help, if you’d like.”

Michelle smiled back. “I’d like that a lot. I think I need someone who’s familiar with the area, you know?”

“No problem. I feel like I should test for my real estate license now. I’m also helping Oliver find a new place to live.” So far, they hadn’t had much luck but in the last few weeks there’d been less time to go look at apartments and Oliver refused to do any of it without her at his side. 

“Are you two moving in together?” 

“No, just him. For now, at least. He did ask but I said no.”

Michelle’s eyes were wide. “Why did you say no?”

“We’ve only been dating a couple months, I don’t want to rush it, you know?”

Michelle smiled sympathetically. “I get it. Still… you’re a stronger woman than me, saying no to a guy like that.”

“Believe me, I know.” Felicity second guessed her decision almost every day it seemed like. Mostly when Oliver was being sweet and loving. The last day or so, it’d been much easier to not feel guilty.

“I wish I had a guy to take things slow with,” she admitted, looking a little sulky. “There’s some cute doctors at the hospital but no one has really caught my eye yet.”

“We need to get you out on the social scene,” Felicity declared, happy to shift the focus of the conversation off of her and Oliver. “I can introduce you to some friends, if you want.”

“I don’t want to be a charity case…”

“You’re not. I’d be happy to. Besides, if you become friends with my friends then we can all hang out more often.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay, I might take you up on it,” Michelle said. “It’s not that I don’t love having you as a friend, Felicity, but I would like to know more than just one other person here in Starling.”

“You know Oliver too,” Felicity pointed out. 

Michelle gave her a dry look. “Only because he’s your boyfriend. We haven’t exactly had long, soul-searching conversations.”

“Okay, point taken. Why don’t you come to Verdant with me on Friday night?”

“Verdant? What’s that?”

“It’s a nightclub in the Glades. I know, I know.But Oliver’s sister is co-owner and it is a great place to meet people around here. Oliver and I will go there now and then to have some drinks. I’d say dancing, but Oliver isn’t much of a dancer.”

“Dancing? Now that sounds like some fun.You’ll be there with me?” she asked. 

“Of course. We’ll make a night of it.”

“That sounds like a great plan,” Michelle said. “Thank you, Felicity. Without you, I’d be holed up in my hotel room, watching expensive pay-per-view.”

Felicity grinned as she took a drink of her coffee. “I’m glad I could help.”

***

_CLANG! CLANG!_

The noise echoed off the walls of the foundry as Oliver climbed up and down the salmon ladder, enjoying the familiar burn of his muscles. Dig and Felicity hovered nearby, discussing the recent escape of Ben Turner, aka the Bronze Tiger from Iron Heights. The run in had kept him and Dig on their toes and Turner had escaped. Felicity hacked into the Iron Heights database which… wow. He’s always been impressed by her capability and found it attractive, but ever since they started dating, it’s been really turning him on. Whenever she flexed her particular hacking muscle, Oliver felt a flash of arousal. And pride. Which is what he told her, but the glint in his eye must have told her what else he was feeling because she’d grinned back at him. 

Things had been stilted between them the last few days and Oliver knew it was because he’d been reluctant to share with her. It wasn’t just information about his time away, which Felicity understood him staying quiet about. But talking to her, and to Dig, about what happened with Slade was letting both of them know what sort of darkness lurked within him. Oliver wasn’t entirely sure about letting Felicity see that side of him, he was ashamed of it. But even he could realize that it was past time to clue his team in

Oliver dropped from the salmon ladder and walked to where Dig and Felicity were discussing Bronze Tiger and who might have aided in his escape. 

“Guys? We need to talk,” he said. 

Two heads snapped up, twin expressions of surprise in place. “About what, Oliver?” Dig asked. 

“What happened to Roy.”

“We know you know what he was injected with,” Dig pointed out. 

“I know,” Oliver said. He looked at Felicity to see her watching him with a strange expression. “And I’m sorry for not talking to you guys about it sooner.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked quietly. 

Oliver shrugged. “I saw it on the island. It’s not a good memory,” he said. 

“But if whatever this is is here right now, I think we need to know,” she replied. 

“I agree.”

Felicity looked taken aback by that. Dig looked intrigued. “So what is it, Oliver?”

“The Japanese called it ‘mirakuru’. Miracle. It’s a serum they created during World War II with the hopes that it would cause enhanced physical abilities in soldiers. Their only supply of this serum was on a submarine that ended up being targeted by the Allied Forces.”

“And let me guess, that submarine wrecked at your Island of Death and Land Mines.” Felicity blew out a breath. 

“Got it in one. While I was there, a scientist called Anthony Ivo came looking for this serum. It’s a long story, but… we found it before he did. Which was a good thing. Sort of.”

“We?” Dig asked. 

Oliver shifted uncomfortably. “Myself, the man who trained me, kept me alive that first year and was my closest friend on that island, a woman named Shado who taught me how to use a bow and arrow and Sara.”

Felicity blinked. He knew she was remembering him mentioning seeing a vision of Shado last month after Barry had used the rat poison to dilute his clotting blood, saving his life. But he hadn’t told her, or Dig, about Slade. Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to say his old friend’s name out loud. 

“My friend had been injured in an assault by Ivo and he was dying. When we found the serum, we decided… _I_ decided… to try it on him because, well, he was dying anyhow. And with the serum, there was a chance he could survive. It was a last minute choice, made in the heat of the moment.”

“What happened?” Felicity asked softly. 

“We thought he died. He started bleeding from his eyes and his heart… stopped.”

“Exactly what happened to Roy. From what you told us,” Dig said. 

Oliver nodded. “Exactly. But we didn’t know that. We… we had to leave because Ivo was closing in on us and we needed to get the mirakuru away from him. Ivo wasn’t a nice guy and that’s as simple as I can say it without opening up a whole other can of worms.” 

“Sara,” Felicity whispered, somehow understanding. “Ivo had Sara after the Gambit sank, didn’t he?”

Oliver bit his lip. “I didn’t see her until I was taken prisoner aboard Ivo’s ship, which he’d docked just off the coast of the island. She was there and she was different, harder but she was hurt too. I could see it in her eyes.”

Felicity looked sad at the realization. Oliver didn’t want to spell it out for her or Dig, but it didn’t look like he needed to. It looked like they understood. A good thing, if a little depressing. From the expressions on his friends faces, he knew they weren’t happy at all with the realization. 

“Anyhow, Ivo caught up with us before we could leave the sub. He had lots of men with guns with him, and he forced us off the sub and into the forest. We were all upset about our friend and in no shape to fight back. It was night, it was cold, we were all devastated…”

Oliver’s chest tightened as he recalled that terrible night and how awful everything had turned out for all of them. Felicity must have seen something on his face because she approached him, placing a hand on his arm. 

“It’s okay, Oliver.”

“It’s not okay,” he murmured. “None of it is okay. Ivo, he… he tied up Sara and Shado. And then he told me to choose. He had a gun out, pointing it at their heads, and he wanted me to choose.”

“And you chose Sara,” Dig finished. It was the obvious answer, since they’d seen Sara with their own eyes. Felicity’s eyes filled with tears. 

“I didn’t mean to choose,” Oliver whispered. “I loved Shado. I was just reacting. Ivo swung the gun towards Sara and I jumped in front of her. I wanted to try to reason with him but… there wasn’t any time. It was too late. Shado died.”

He could still remember how her body had slumped to the forest floor, dried leaves sticking to the blood that had blossomed on her head after Ivo’s gunshot. He remembered the utter _despair_. They’d lost everything that night. And Oliver had lost whatever was left of his innocence. 

“Our friend came then. He wasn’t dead. But he wasn’t _right_ either. He was furious, in a rage. He saw Shado lying in the dirt and he just… he lost it.” Oliver looked to Felicity. “He was in love with her. He’d never told her but I knew he was. And seeing her dead… something just _broke_ inside of him. He tore through Ivo’s men like they were tissue paper. Ivo took the mirakuru and escaped back to the ship but all his men there died.”

“So the mirakuru that Ivo took… that’s what Roy was injected with?” Felicity asked.

Oliver shook his head. “No. I was able to get the serum back. I burned what was left of it. But my friend… he was so angry and almost insane with grief and anger. When he found out that it was my choice that had killed Shado, he focused all his anger on me.” He turned away from his friends. “I had to kill him. If I hadn’t killed him, he would have killed me. Or my family. I couldn’t risk that.”

Felicity again reached for him, turning him around to face them. He saw no judgement in her eyes, only sympathy. And love. He looked to Dig and saw compassion there too. A lump lodged in his throat as he took in these two people he hadn’t known two years before but who had become so hugely important to him as a person. He needed his team to believe that he did everything he could to save his friends on that island. And that he’d also do anything in his power to make sure things with Team Arrow didn’t end up the same way, that Felicity and Dig knew he would never betray them. Killing Slade was something Oliver had felt he needed to do at the time, but he’d lived with that regret for five years now.

“I do have a question,” Dig said after a moment. “If you burned up the last of the mirakuru, how did the man in the skull mask get his hands on some to inject into Roy?”

Oliver sighed. “That is what I don’t know. And it’s been driving me crazy trying to figure it out.”

“We don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle yet,” Felicity said. “But now that we know what the pieces look like, we’ll figure this out. Together.”

Oliver huffed. He knew Felicity was giving him a subtle dig about keeping them out of the loop before. “Yes, together,” he agreed. “And in the meantime, I have to keep a closer eye on Roy. I’ve seen how the mirakuru can mess with someone’s mind and I don’t want that to happen to him. He’s just a kid.”

Felicity and Dig both nodded. “I still think you should bring him onto the team,” she said. 

“And I agree with her,” Dig added. “We need to bring him in closer.”

“I’ll think about it,” Oliver promised. 

Dig rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna go change. You think hard, Oliver.”

Oliver grinned after his friend as he walked away, shaking his head. He knew that both of them were probably right. They were right far more often than they were wrong and Oliver’s success rate on that hadn’t been nearly as impressive. 

“You’re a good man, Oliver Queen,” Felicity said from next to him. 

He turned to smile at her. “You’re just saying that because you’re sleeping with me,” he told her. 

She swatted at his arm and they each returned to what they’d been doing; her to the computers and him to the salmon ladder. He was just working on his fifth set when he felt Felicity’s eyes on him. She sat at her computers, but her eyes were on him and he’d recognize that glazed, lustful look on her face anywhere. As he lunged up another rung, he made sure to flex and stretch, displaying all his muscles for her. Her mouth popped open. Oh, yeah. 

He _adored_ how much she liked to watch him work out. He always had, but it’d gotten even _better_ since they were seeing each other and he knew exactly how crazy his workouts always drove her. Plus, now he knew how she acted in bed, in the throes of passion. Those looks she gave him while he worked out weren’t just aesthetic appreciation of his body. They were silent promises of what she wanted to do to him the next minute they were alone. 

And hey… they were alone right now, weren’t they?

He hopped down from the ladder and noticed Felicity didn’t avert her eyes or try to pretend she hadn’t been ogling him. Her eyes were focused on him as he stalked towards her. He came to a stop right before her, causing her to crane her neck to continue looking at him. He was breathing hard from his exertion but he also felt all of his skin tingling, yearning for _her_. 

“Felicity,” he said, his voice low and rough. 

“Oliver,” she replied, her voice just as husky. 

He reached for her at the same time she launched out of her seat. He caught her, yanking her up against his body and their mouths collided in a heated, messy, passionate kiss. She groaned loudly and he swallowed the sound, reaching around to palm her ass roughly. Her hips jerked into his and her nails scratched at his scalp and over the muscles of his back. 

The passion never seemed to fade between them. If anything, it only grew, steadily, like a wildfire; the longer they were together, the more he knew her, the more they did _this,_ the more those flames grew and burned hotter. Oliver had never experienced anything quite like it before, but it was the most fantastic surprise from his relationship with Felicity. That his love and desire for her could only grow and strengthen and evolve. 

They stumbled backward together, lips fused together, tongues clashing, until Felicity bumped against the med table. Oliver grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up, setting her roughly on the cold, metal surface. His hands skated up her legs, underneath the skirt of her dress, palming her smooth thighs. His thumbs teased around the elastic of her underwear and something in his chest thrilled when her legs parted to give him freer reign with his touch. He spread her legs further, stepping between her knees and continued to kiss her as his fingers teased at the already dampened fabric of her underwear. 

“Please,” she muttered against his lips. 

“Please what?” he returned, knowing exactly what she was asking but absolutely needing to hear her ask. 

“Touch me.” She was breathless and needy and felt like a burning ember in his arms. Fuck, he loved how she responded to him. It was the same way he felt around her, the fire that ignited when she looked at him, when she touched him. 

If they’d been at her apartment, shut away from everyone and everything, Oliver would have taken his time. He would have teased her out until she was sweaty and panting and flushed all over. But they were in the foundry and this was a quick thing, a moment of passion exploding between them. And he wanted to touch her just as badly as she wanted him to touch her. 

He pulled her underwear, a thin scrap of lace and satin, to the side and rubbed his fingers through her sex, gathering the wetness there. Felicity shuddered against him, holding onto his shoulders for support. He kissed at her neck, that spot under her ear that drove her wild. He circled around her sensitive clit, grinning when she jumped and pushed her hips into his touch. So goddamn responsive. 

She pleaded breathlessly in his ear so beautifully, that he decided to appease her (and him) by plunging two fingers into her tight channel. Her walls clenched on him, sucking him in and she bit down his shoulder to stifle a cry. If they’d been somewhere more private, he would have told her to let him hear her. He loved how loud she could get when they had sex. 

He thrust his digits into her, rubbing with the tips of his fingers. He wanted to replace his fingers with his cock, so badly, but he just didn’t know if there was time—

“What the _hell_ , you two??” 

Diggle’s exclamation rang out through the foundry and Oliver pulled his fingers from Felicity and pulled down the hem of her skirt in a movement so swift, that he might have been impressed if he wasn’t busy fighting off a heart attack. Luckily, the door to the bathroom was at Felicity’s back so Dig hadn’t been able to see exactly what he’d been doing. For all he knew, they were necking. Oliver would be happy for it to stay that way. 

Felicity stiffened, burying her face in his shoulder while Oliver looked over his shoulder to where Dig stood several feet away, his massive arms crossed over his chest. 

“Sorry, Dig,” he said, at a loss for anything else to say. 

Felicity pushed him away and hopped down off the table. “Dig, I’m so sorry, We shouldn’t have done that, I knew you were still here and I know you said no hanky panky in the foundry—“

Dig mouthed _hanky panky_ at him and Oliver shrugged back. 

“—And there’s really no excuse. Not even watching Oliver do the salmon ladder shirtless is a good excuse even though that’s like my kryptonite. I can’t handle the sight of him doing that, all those abs rippling and the grunting. I think Oliver knows it too and I think that’s his reason for doing it half the time, even before we got together—“

Dig held up a hand. “Felicity. It’s okay. I don’t need to hear any more, I beg you.”

She bit her lip (rather adorably, Oliver thought). “I know, I just… I feel bad, Dig. We promised you to keep that stuff out of the foundry and then here we were with—“

“Ah ah!” Dig said, raising his voice. “Not another word.”

Felicity’s cheeks turned pink. “Sorry,” she muttered. 

Dig turned his eyes to Oliver and his expression hardened. “I expect you to control yourself.” 

Oliver was caught between wanting to snort with amusement and wanting to duck his head and apologize. Dig knew the sort of control that Oliver wielded as easily as his bow. But it would seem that his friend and partner accurately recognized that that control was out the window when it came to his IT girl. 

“Yes, sir,” Oliver replied, with just enough of a cheeky grin to make Dig roll his eyes at him. 

Felicity looked between them. “Ugh. We need more women down here,” she grumbled. 

Oliver just smirked and bent down to whisper in her ear, “You and I will finish our business later.” 

As he returned to the salmon ladder, he enjoyed the sound of her whimper following after him. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Michelle have a girl's night, Quentin is spiraling, Oliver makes a decision about Roy and Moira has a big announcement to make...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last update before Christmas! Thank you to everyone who is reading along. I know this is a busy time of the year, but your support means everything. I'll back on Monday with chapter 5, but in the meantime, enjoy this update and to everyone who celebrates something this weekend, Happy Holidays! 
> 
> Another big thanks to my beta, the-silverforked-sky. I'm sure she's just as busy as everyone else right now and she's still correcting my stupid little mistakes. Bless her. 
> 
> About my Christmas fic: I don't think I'll have it all completed in time. I figure I'll be finishing the penultimate chapter today, but since tomorrow and Sunday are going to be SO BUSY, I don't think I'll have time to write the last chapter this weekend. So my plan right now is this: I'll post the first 5 chapters tomorrow, the next 4 on Sunday and then the last chapter probably on Tuesday. How does that sound?? Get ready for some grumpy Ghost!Oliver!

The bass was thumping and the lights were strobing as Oliver led Felicity inside Verdant on Friday night. She was wearing a dress that had his mouth watering but as soon as she’d seen the glint in his eye when he picked her up, she lifted a finger in warning and told him he was not allowed to mess up her look. 

He had been planning to drop Felicity with her new friend Michelle and then hang out with Tommy or something, but after seeing that dress and how tight it fit to her curves and how much leg it exposed, he started to think maybe he’d stick around the bar and have a drink. Just to keep an eye on things in the club. 

“Are you going to be with Tommy?” Felicity asked, leaning towards him and speaking over the throb of music. 

“Yeah. Or at the bar,” he replied. “Do you see Michelle?”

Felicity craned her neck, looking over the sea of dancers. Oliver took that moment to admire the long line of her neck. Her hair was pinned up, a few tendrils hanging down by her ears. She looked utterly edible. 

“There! Over by the bar.”

Oliver escorted her there. He trusted her to find it herself, of course. But Felicity was already drawing looks and Oliver was feeling a touch on the possessive side that night. As soon as they made it through the throng of gyrating bodies, Felicity pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. 

“I’ll see you later,” she told him. 

He squeezed her hand before letting her go. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled at him. He turned his smile on Michelle, who was perched on a bar stool, a tall, pink drink in front of her. 

“Hello, Michelle. Having fun?” he asked her. 

“Hey, Oliver. This place is great,” she said, grinning. 

“It’s mostly Thea’s doing. She does most of the daily work on this place and she’s really made it her own,” he said, proud of his little sister. “Felicity, you should take her to Thea, introduce her.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for her,” Felicity said, nodding. 

Oliver looked back to Michelle. “Take care of my girl, will you?”

“With my life!”

Oliver walked away, a little reluctantly. He wasn’t planning to go very far, perhaps back into the shadows where he could have a drink or two and keep an eye on things. He found a table in a darkened alcove and ordered a scotch from one of the waitresses. He kept an eye on the whole club but there was no denying his eyes kept drifting over to Felicity and Michelle. Oliver watched them both have a drink, talk and laugh some, before heading out onto the dance floor. He then drained his drink and got up to circle the room, still keeping his eye on the girls. If Felicity saw him, she’d give him hell for it. He was just debating where to situate himself when a hand clapped down onto his shoulder. 

“Ollie! Fancy seeing you here. Are you on the wrong floor?”

Oliver gave his friend a look. “Very funny, Tommy.”

“Felicity let you out alone? That’s trusting of her. No… wait… she kicked you out, didn’t she?”

He decided to ignore the jabs. “I was just debating whether to come find you or not.”

“Me? I didn’t think I was your type,” he quipped. “You get to cut loose for a night and you want to hunt me up, you’re more off your game than I thought.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Felicity is here, but I’m giving her some space to spend time with her new friend.”

“She’s here? And you let her out of your sight? I’m impressed!” Tommy looked him over and then huffed a small laugh. “She’s not out of your sight, is she?”

“Nope. She’s over near the DJ. Red dress. The girl with her is also blonde, silver dress.”

Tommy lifted onto his toes to look over the dancing crowd. “Ahhh, I see. A blonde friend, eh? Care to introduce me?”

“Tommy…”

“C’mon. I don’t bite. Not unless they ask me to. Besides, I’d love to meet Felicity’s new friend. Clearly the girl has good taste in friends.”

“All right, fine.” Oliver started to walk around to where the girls were dancing, Tommy close on his heels. He hoped Felicity wouldn’t be to annoyed at him lurking around. But she had said that Michelle wanted to meet people, and Tommy definitely was a person. 

They reached the edge of the dance floor near the two women right at a song change. Oliver caught Felicity’s eye and gestured her over. She looked ready to give him a glare when she saw Tommy hovering next to him and her eyebrows went up as she nodded in approval. She signaled to Michelle and the two walked off the dance floor and approached them. 

Oliver pulled Felicity to him for a quick kiss. As he released her, he looked over the top of her head at a few of the men out on the dance floor who’d been watching her, who were _still_ watching her. Upon catching his glare, they looked away. Unfortunately, Felicity saw it and swatted his arm. 

“You can be such an oaf, Oliver Queen.”

“True as that may be, please tell me you have some sugar left for me, Smoak,” Tommy cajoled and Felicity, grinning, went to him for a quick hug and a peck on the lips. When he let her go, he leveled her with a look. “You can hardly blame the guy for going caveman on you when you’re wearing that amazing dress.”

“I sure can, Merlyn,” she said, giving him a look of her own. She stepped back and reached behind her, grabbing Michelle’s hand, pulling her forward. 

“Tommy, this is my friend Michelle Fowler. Michelle, this is my incorrigible friend, Tommy Merlyn,” she introduced. 

Tommy turned his attention on Michelle and Oliver recognized the gleam that entered his eyes. His friend took Michelle’s hand and lifted it to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles while maintaining steady eye-contact with the now-flustered blonde. 

“Lovely to meet you, Ms. Fowler,” he said lowly before straightening. But he did not release her hand. “Whatever Smoak has told you about me, I assure you, it’s all fabrication and speculation.”

Michelle’s cheeks turned a deep pink and she looked positively delighted. “She told me some things but she left out what a charmer you are.”

“I’m pretty sure the second word out of my mouth about Tommy was ‘charming’,” Felicity said. 

Neither of them paid her any attention. 

Felicity looked to him, her eyebrows raised. He raised his back at her. Oliver knew she’d been hoping that Michelle and Tommy would get along but this was starting to look like a lot more than just ‘getting along’. 

He took Felicity’s hand and leaned towards Tommy, “We’re going to go get a drink at the bar, leave you two to get to know each other.”

Tommy nodded, but didn’t take his eyes off of Michelle. “Sounds good, buddy.”

“Very good,” Michelle echoed. 

As he lead Felicity away, they both started to snicker at the same time, leaning into one another. “I think I lost my date for tonight,” she told him. “Your best friend better not cost me my new friend.”

“What exactly did you want to happen, bringing Michelle here?” he asked her, teasingly. “I see you, Felicity, you wanted to hook those two up.”

“You got me, Queen.”

“I think it’s just you and me, _Smoak_ ,” he teased. 

They found a spot at the bar and secured a couple of barstools. Oliver switched to drinking club soda and ordered Felicity a glass of red wine. He found he couldn’t be too sorry that Michelle and Tommy had hit it off so quickly; it meant he got to spend more time with Felicity. Plus, it was kind of funny to keep looking towards the table the two had occupied, seeing them immersed in conversation, eyes only on each other. Oliver knew Felicity was glad too. 

“Come on, just one dance?” Felicity pleaded, pushing her empty wine glass aside. 

Oliver had known this was coming. “You know I don’t dance, Felicity.”

“Not even for me?” She pouted a little, her lush lower lip poking out and her eyelashes fluttering. He knew she was manipulating him but yet, he couldn’t bring himself to look away. 

“That’s not fighting fair,” he pointed out. 

“I never promised to fight fair,” she purred, leaning into him a little, exposing her cleavage and he found his eyes drawn from her pouting lips to the swells of flesh that threatened to rise out of the bodice of her dress. 

“I can’t believe I ever thought you were too sweet and innocent for me,” he murmured. “That I thought I might corrupt you.”

“You should never judge a book by its cover,” she said, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. 

“Fine,” he said, “you win.” He wanted to have his hands on her, have her in his arms and if the only socially acceptable way to manage that right at this moment was dancing with her, then so be it. 

They were both just sliding off their stools when there was a commotion at the other end of the bar. Oliver looked over the small throng of people between them at whatever had the bartender upset and threatening to call the bouncer. He was surprised to see a familiar face at the center of the ruckus. 

“What is it?” Felicity asked. 

“It’s Quentin,” he told her. “Stay here, I’m going to go see what’s going on.”

“Okay, but you still owe me that dance, mister.”

He grinned at her before he pushed his way through the gathering crowd to get to the end of the bar. 

Quentin Lance was sitting, hunched over a tumbler that was nearly empty. He wore a grimace and his face was lined, his hair sticking up in fifteen different directions. His suit was rumpled and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. 

“What going on?” he asked the bartender, a young man named Tony. 

“I told this man that I thought he’d had enough, offered to make him coffee and call a cab. I know it’s our policy to cut people off when they’ve had too much, Mr. Queen,” Tony said. 

“Thank you, Tony. I’ll take it from here,” Oliver replied. He turned to the small crowd that had gathered. “Nothing to see here.”

With some mutters, everyone finally shifted away. Oliver sat on the vacant stool next to Quentin and regarded him. When he was a teenager, and just starting to date Laurel, he’d always viewed her father as larger than life. He wasn’t like his own father, negligent and willing to turn a blind eye. No, Quentin Lance saw _everything_. And he hadn’t cared for Oliver one bit. At the time, it had aggravated Oliver. He was young and spoiled and thought he should be able to charm anyone. But Quentin had been uncharmable. He’d seen Oliver for the threat to his daughter (ultimately, his daughter _s_ ) that he was. 

But still, Oliver respected the man. Even with the times last year when he’d been bitter and aggressive towards him, when he’d arrested him, hunted him, glared at him… Quentin was a strong man with strong morality who loved his family. A family that Oliver had helped rip to shreds. Guilt swelled within him as he regarded this once proud man. 

“Quentin, can I call you a cab?” he asked gently. 

“I told your boy here that I’ll leave when I’m good and ready to leave,” Quentin grumbled, lifting his head and swaying on his stool at the same time. “I’m a paying customer and I just want to order some drinks. I thought that’s what you were supposed to do in a _bar_.”

“Tony thinks you’ve had enough, and I trust Tony’s judgement,” Oliver said. 

“What, am I a child now?” he asked, his words slurring. “I can’t decide for myself when I’ve had enough?”

His voice was rising and Oliver honestly didn’t want to create another scene. Perhaps calling in the bouncers to help Quentin to a cab was the best option, though Oliver cringed at having to put the poor guy through that humiliation. He might not care now, but he would care tomorrow, after he slept off this bender. Oliver signaled to the large bouncers that were near the bar, utterly hating that he had to do it. 

“Listen, I know you’re hurting now that Laurel—“

“You don’t get to say her name!” Quentin exploded. “After everything you did, you don’t get to say her name. You took my baby girl from me and then that damned vigilante took my other girl. And now I have no one.”

The older man’s face crumbled and Oliver felt his heart twist. By this man’s reckoning, he was responsible for both girls’ deaths. And he wouldn’t be wrong. But one of them… one of them he could maybe fix.”

He stood and watched regretfully as the bouncers helped Quentin up and steered him towards the doors of the club. People were watching, shocked at a SCPD officer having to be escorted from a club. Oliver had his phone out of his pocket before they even left the building. He dialed the number that he’d had Felicity look up for him, once again thanking his lucky stars that she was so good at finding pretty much anyone she wanted to find. He walked towards the back hallway for some privacy while waiting for the call to connect. 

“Sara? It’s Oliver.”

“How did you get this number?” came the growled response. 

“I’m surprised a trained assassin even has to ask me that. Listen, it’s about your dad—“

“What’s wrong? Is he okay?” Sara’s voice suddenly sounded ten years younger. 

“He was just escorted out of Verdant, he’d been drinking. A lot. Before he’d even gotten here, I’m guessing. He’s not doing well. He needs you.”

“Ollie, you know I can’t—“

“Sara. He has no one. He _needs_ you.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

Oliver hung up, feeling marginally better. But the guilt was still pressing in on him. Suddenly, dancing and drinking and being with friends was the last thing he wanted to do. He was already moving towards the safety lock leading down to the basement when a hand landed on his arm, stopping him. 

“Oliver?”

He turned to see Felicity looking at him, concerned. 

“What happened?” she asked. 

“Let’s talk downstairs,” he suggested. He keyed in the code and opened the door, letting her go before him. 

Felicity followed him as he walked to the chair he often sat in while sharpening his arrows. He sat and she stood before him, and it was a testament to how his mind was wrapped up in what was going on with Quentin that he didn’t appreciate her in that dress at the moment. 

“Quentin was drunk. _Really_ drunk. I’ve never seen him like that before,” he told her. “Sara told me when I saw her a couple months ago that she’d been keeping tabs on her dad and he went into AA after the Gambit went down. But he’d since gotten sober. It looks like losing Laurel kicked him back off the wagon again.”

Felicity’s expression softened and she stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Oliver, this isn’t your fault.”

He should have known she would understand what was eating at him. “I just… I’ve never seen him so down. He’s always been so strong and he’s just broken, Felicity.”

“You didn’t cause that. You tried to save the city from the earthquake machine, you’re not to blame for Laurel dying. Malcolm is.”

“But I am to blame for Sara.”

Felicity pushed between his legs so she was right in front of him and she knelt so she could look into his eyes. “Hey. Stop that. She got on the Gambit all on her own. That was _her_ decision. And if she were here, she’d tell you the same thing.”

Oliver knew she was right. “I called her. Sara.”

Felicity nodded. “Good idea. Besides, she should know about how badly he’s doing.”

“That’s what I thought. She’s coming as soon as possible. Seeing as how I have no idea where she is, that doesn’t tell me much. Thanks, by the way, for hunting down her burner phone for me.”

“I was glad to do it,” she said. She was watching him closely, biting her lip. “You look upset still.”

“I feel like I should have known Quentin would be struggling. I didn’t even think about it.”

“I missed it too. I got so wrapped up in all the stuff we’ve been doing that it didn’t cross my mind.” Felicity got to her feet and pulled him up by his hands. Then, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. “Promise me you won’t let this drown you in guilt.”

Oliver sighed and hugged her back. “I can’t promise that, Felicity.”

“Yes, you can. You have me, ready and willing to keep your head above water.”

That made him smile. He bent down and briefly kissed her. “What would I do without you?” he asked. 

“Brood a lot,” she declared. That, at least, made him laugh. 

***

Sara arrived in Starling the very next day to see to Quentin. The visit was just what the man needed. Oliver had gone to talk to Sara and learned she planned to stay in town as long as her father needed her. He told Felicity to expect Sara to join the team, at least provisionally, while she was around. Though Felicity had some sour memories from the fall and her feelings about Sara being in the foundry, she was actually glad to hear the news. The boys could always use a pair of extra hands out on the mean streets. 

But it wasn’t just Sara lending an extra pair of hands, it was Roy too. Oliver continued working with him though getting through to the boy was difficult at best. Roy was frustrated which in turn made Oliver frustrated. And then they learned about the prototype earthquake machine. In trying to stop the machine from leveling the city (again), Oliver needed to unmask himself to get through to Roy. To plead with him to stop the machine, because he was the only one who could. To remind him of Thea and how her life was at stake. 

Love was what did it. Roy’s rage was cleared like fog on a sunny day and he stopped the machine. To say he was surprised at Oliver’s reveal was an understatement. Felicity listened over the comms, wishing she could be there to see the look on the kid’s face. Then, she turned to Dig who was cleaning his guns. 

“Looks like it’s going to get more crowded down here,” she told him. 

Dig groaned good naturedly. “I’m going to have to start labeling the food in the fridge.”

“I think this is good for Oliver, to have someone to train and mentor, who will look up to him,” she mused as she tracked the boys’ progress back to the foundry. She didn’t have to monitor anyone after the mission was done, but it gave her peace of mind, until all her “ducks were back in a row”, as she often told Dig and Oliver. 

“I hope so,” Dig said. “Oliver has some growing to do himself. I don’t want him to lead Roy down the wrong path, even if he means to do the right thing.”

“You can help him. You know, guide Oliver and help him with Roy. We need you around here Dig, now more than ever.”

He smiled at her. “You’re sweet to say so, Felicity. I just happen to agree.”

She chuckled and looked back to her monitor. “Looks like they’re nearly here. Shall we get ready to greet the new guy?”

“No time like the present.”

A few minutes later, Oliver and Roy came trotting down the stairs into the basement. Felicity stood up and Dig came to stand next to her. 

“So who else knows your secret?” Roy asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. 

“Too many people,” Oliver admitted. “But these are the only two that matter.” He smiled to her and Dig and Roy looked at them, almost surprised to find there were other people down in the basement. 

They shook hands and made introductions. Of course, Roy had seen them both before, knew their names but apparently had zero idea that they were this involved with operations. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before,” he admitted bashfully. 

“Well, we’re pretty sneaky,” Felicity admitted. 

“Now I need you to guard the secret too, Roy. This is bigger than just you and me. Dig and Felicity are my partners and if this gets out, their lives would be devastated,” Oliver cautioned him. 

Roy nodded. “I get it. I won’t tell anyone.” A part of him looked pained by that and Felicity knew he was thinking about Thea. 

From there, Dig went home and Roy left as well, saying he needed a few days to process this but he’d be back soon for more training. Oliver went to change and take a quick shower and Felicity decided to wait for him so they could leave together. 

While she waited, she sent a quick text to Michelle. She hadn’t had a chance to touch base with her since the other night at the club and she was dying to hear how things went with Tommy. 

 

**Don’t think you’re getting out of giving me all the juicy details this easy. - FS**

 

While she waited to see if Michelle would reply, she powered down her computers and made sure her purse was packed up and ready to go. She slipped on her coat and that’s when her phone buzzed with an incoming text. 

 

**We really hit it off. He escorted me home, like a gentleman. Texted me today. He wants to take me out to dinner Friday. - MF**

 

Felicity grinned. While she’d just met Michelle and they were still getting to know one another, Felicity felt a kinship with the woman and knew that she was a good, kind heart. A great match for Tommy, who Felicity also adored. 

 

**I’m so happy to hear that. Tommy is a good guy and he deserves some happy in his life. You told him yes to dinner, didn’t you? - FS**

 

Oliver walked out of the bathroom then, dressed in a henley and jeans and wearing that leather jacket that she loved seeing him in. 

“Ready to go?” he asked her. 

“Yes. Lead the way, my good knight,” she told him. 

He smirked and took her hand as they walked out the alley entrance. Felicity still had her phone in her hand and it buzzed with Michelle’s latest response. 

 

**Of course! I’m not brain-dead. Thank you, Felicity, for introducing us. - MF**

 

**It was my pleasure, Michelle. Have fun and tell me how it goes! - FS**

 

“Are we going to your place?” Oliver asked as he stopped at her car. His motorcycle was parked just next to it. 

“I love that you just assume we’re spending the night together,” she said, lifting an eyebrow.

“Are you saying you don’t want to?” he challenged, his own eyebrow raising in response. 

“Of course not. And yes, my place. You know the mansion gives me the willies.”

“Oh, I’ll show you the willies,” he promised. 

Felicity groaned as she let herself into her car. “That was truly awful, Oliver.”

“I know. I hated myself the moment I said it.”

She laughed, sitting down behind the wheel and tossing her purse onto the passenger seat. “Race you there?”

“Absolutely not. You’re going to obey all the traffic laws, Ms. Smoak.”

“You’re no fun.” 

He shut the door to her car and she grinned as she saw him shake his head in exasperated amusement before slipping his helmet on. He knew as well as she did that she’d race him anyhow. And he’d let her win, because that’s the sort of man he was. 

***

Ever since Christmas, Moira liked to gather the family for dinner on Sundays. Neither of them were really enthused about it, but Felicity tried to make an effort for Oliver’s sake. And for Thea, whom she was getting to know better and better all the time. Things with Moira were still frosty as ever, but the matriarch was making an effort be polite so Felicity felt she could at least return the same. 

Mostly, the dinners were boring and a bit stilted, even with Oliver and Thea there, teasing each other over the broiled rosemary potatoes. Felicity always worried if she was wearing the right thing, saying the right thing… But after a month or so of this, she was finally finding the groove. And Moira seemed to be relenting, at least a little, where she was concerned. Oh, she was still vaguely condescending in her own inimitable fashion, but she was making more of an effort to engage Felicity in the discussions at the dinner table. 

In early February, however, things changed. For one thing, Walter joined them for dinner, which surprised the hell out of Felicity. Thea wasn’t terribly surprised, on the other hand, and told Felicity when she asked that her mother had gone to dinner with Walter just the other night. It was plain to see the younger Queen was hoping for a reconciliation between the estranged couple. Felicity wanted to be able to hope for that too, but since Walter knew Moira was essentially at fault for his own kidnapping last year, she knew the chances of that were frighteningly low. 

Which begged the question: why was he here? 

They found out just after the main course was served. 

“I wanted to make an announcement,” Moira said from the head of the table. Walter, sitting to her immediate left, didn’t look surprised. Instead he just smiled up at her expectantly. The rest of them exchanged looks and it was clear Thea and Oliver had no more idea than Felicity had. 

“Walter came to me the other day with a proposal. He asked me to consider running for Mayor of Starling City. I’ve given it a lot of thought, spoken to advisors, and I’ve decided to submit my candidacy.”

Felicity gaped at the Queen matriarch before she realized that gawping with her jaw hanging open probably was the height of rudeness. She looked to Oliver who was turning eyes on her that were filled with just as much confusion as hers probably were. Thea looked speechless. Moira looked nearly nervous as she watched Oliver and Thea for their reactions. It was the most vulnerable Felicity had ever seen her. 

Oliver was the first to speak. “Wow. Mom… are you sure? You were just on trial for what happened to the Glades…”

Walter cleared his throat. “We did some quiet polling, some asking around in the elite circles… There are plenty of citizens who don’t agree with Sebastian Blood’s platform and would like to have another choice in this race. Moira may be polarizing, but she’s generally viewed as a strong figure in this city and that is who a lot of people are wanting to elect.”

Felicity had to admit, what Walter said made sense. She knew that Blood had unsettled some with his brash tactics and there was no doubt he was alienating the elite of Starling with his focus on the less fortunate. Which, in Felicity’s mind, was a good thing. On the other hand, something about Sebastian Blood didn’t sit right with her. It could just be his last name. Honestly, how could anyone not get the heebie jeebies from the name _Blood_?

“But why you, mom? Can’t someone else run? Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, the last mayor was gunned down and I—“ Thea cut herself off, biting her lip. She looked scared at the prospect. 

“I know, sweetheart, and I promise you I did take security concerns into consideration. But I will have some excellent people on staff who’s job it will be to keep me safe while campaigning. And… I think I would be good at this. Oliver is taking care of Queen Consolidated and I wouldn’t mind shifting my focus elsewhere.”

Both siblings looked unsure and Moira sighed. “I understand your concerns. But I didn’t announce this looking for your blessings. I was, however, hoping for your support.”

Oliver drew a deep breath. “And of course you have it, mom. Anything you need from me, you just let me know.”

“Yeah, me too,” Thea chimed in, though she both sounded and looked less sure than her brother. 

“We will need you to withdraw your support for Sebastian’s campaign,” Walter told Oliver. 

“Yes, of course.”

Everyone stood up then, and both Oliver and Thea hugged their mother. Felicity hung back but gave Moira what she hoped was an encouraging smile. When she shook Moira’s hand she promised to help in whatever fashion she could, feeling that was the right thing to do. 

Of course, it ended up meaning doing some campaign work on top of her regular duties at Merlyn Global and in the foundry. She told herself that it was a way of supporting Oliver. He still seemed a little bewildered by his mother’s decision to run for mayor, but so far hadn’t mentioned any misgivings to her. Felicity was happy to help, if for Oliver and Thea more than for Moira herself. 

Walter had her do some legwork on some research preparing for the first debate Moira would have against Sebastian. Which was fine because research was Felicity’s _thing_. Always had been. She’d been the only student in her class in high school who actually looked forward to research papers. Considering she did research on a nearly daily basis for the Arrow, doing a little for Moira’s campaign was a walk in the park. 

But then she stumbled across some information that made her pause and consider. What she learned didn’t add up. Or rather, it did add up and what it equaled wasn’t something she wanted to even remotely consider. Hoping that Walter would have a reasonable explanation, she went to see him with what she’d found. 

Felicity took a long lunch from Merlyn Global and walked the few city blocks to Starling National Bank, where Walter still held his position. Luckily, he wasn’t busy and his secretary was able to show her directly into his office. 

“Ms. Smoak! Lovely to see you,” he greeted, getting up to clasp her hands. “What can I do for you?”

“You can call me Felicity, please. Ms. Smoak sounds like my mother.”

“Then I must insist you call me Walter,” he told her, his eyes twinkling fondly. 

“Okay… Walter. You know how I’m doing research for Mrs. Queen’s campaign?”

“Yes, and how is that going.”

“Pretty well. Too well, maybe. You see… It’s about Tempest.”

Walter’s eyebrows went up. “Tempest?” He gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and then rounded around it to take his seat again. Felicity sat.

“You know, Mrs. Queen’s super sketchy offshore LLC that you asked me to look into last year?”

“Yes, I do remember that.”

“So, the thing is… when I was pulling the financial research you asked me to prepare, I came across it again and I noticed it’d been accessed again recently. A few days ago, in fact. There was a wire transfer made from Tempest to a numbered account here at Starling National Bank.”

“That is probably the campaign accountant shutting it down,” Walter reasoned. 

“Yes, I had that thought,” Felicity said, scooting forward in her seat. “Or, it could be something else. You see, that’s the money Mrs. Queen used to do some really bad things.”She bit her lip, not wanting to bring up Walter’s abduction but the fact was, the money from Tempest last year head gone straight to the kidnappers. “You guys did get divorced for pretty good reasons.”

Felicity could tell instantly that she’d overstepped her bounds. Walter’s brows drew together and his entire countenance closed off. She sat back in her chair. “I’m sorry, your divorce is absolutely not my business.”

Walter hummed in agreement. “I will talk to Moira about it first thing, see if she knows what it’s about,” he said, his tone very dismissive. “Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

She was being dismissed. Feeling a little flustered, Felicity gathered her purse and got to her feet. “Thank you for seeing me, Mr.— Walter.”

“Good day to you too, Ms. Smoak.”

_Ah, so it was Ms. Smoak again_. 

Still, the questions in her mind only grew as she headed back to her office. Walter didn’t seemed surprised by the information she’d given. If anything, he’d seemed uninterested. More than that, he wanted _her_ to be uninterested too. But that’s just not how she worked. By the time she was back at her desk at Merlyn Global, Felicity was itching to do some more digging. 

Her workload was light that afternoon so she had some time to set up some more searches about Tempest and who the numbered account belonged to. There was a small voice that told her she should let it go. But she couldn’t. It was a mystery and not just an abstract mystery like the ending of a book or a thrilling movie. It was personal, involving someone she loved deeply. She absolutely could not let it go. 

She let it run while she finished up her work for the day, and when she was finished, she decided to head over to the foundry a little early. She could get the results of this search delivered there and keep an eye on her never-ending searches for the man in the skull mask at the same time. Felicity absolutely loved killing two birds with one stone. 

She headed out of her office a little early that afternoon, unaware that things were about to tilt sideways for her and the Queen family in a major way. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity confronts Moira about what she's learned... the question is, what will Moira do with the ultimatum that her son's girlfriend has delivered?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, if you celebrate. If you don't, I hope you had a great weekend! I posted my Christmas fic, "My True Love Gave To Me", so go look that up. I will be putting up the last chapter of that tomorrow. 
> 
> BIG thanks to @the-silverforked-sky because she's a beta-queen. I LOVE her suggestions. She makes my stuff so much better.

Oliver was feeling a little dazed as he let himself into the alley entrance at the foundry. Sara hadn’t come back with him, but given what he’d just seen, he wasn’t terribly surprised. While a part of him knew he should have half expected what had just gone down out there on the empty streets of the Glades, another part of him was just shocked to his core.

He found Felicity sitting at her computers as usual. “Hey you,” he greeted as he walked past her to set his bow in his case. He unclipped his quiver and set it down next to the bow case and then pushed his hood back and lowered his mask. Felicity was staring intensely at the monitor while some searches ran on her computer; typical for an average night in the foundry. 

“Hey,” she muttered distractedly. “How’d it go tonight? You find out who the new player in town was?”

There’d been reports of some ninja woman attacking security at the international arrivals gate at Starling International Airport. He and Sara had gone out to see if they could find the woman. Oliver had talked Sara into joining him since the “ninja” description sounded an awful lot like League of Assassins to him. It did to her too, which had her on edge but also eager to find out who it was who’d come to her city and what they wanted. He thought she already had some suspicions but whatever they were, she was keeping them to herself.

“We definitely did,” he told Felicity, sitting down in the chair next to hers. 

She looked up. “Oh? Who was it? League of Assassins?”

“Yeah… you could definitely say that.”

Her eyes widened almost comically behind her glasses. “Okay, you’ve got me intrigued. What happened. And where is Sara?”

“She’s with Nyssa right now.”

“Nyssa?”

“Nyssa Raatko. Though you could also call her Nyssa al Ghul.”

Felicity’s mouth popped open. “Al Ghul? Why does that sound familiar?”

“R’as al Ghul is the head of the League of Assassins.”

Felicity recalled that she’d heard him and Sara discussing someone by that name a few months ago when Sara was first in town. “So he’s a big nasty sort of guy, snap your neck as soon as look at you?” 

Oliver nodded. “That’s about right.”

“And you _left_ Sara with his _daughter_? Sara, our friend, who has been trying to run and hide from these psychopaths all these months? Oliver, what the hell??”

He held up a hand to stop her raging. Part of the problem with telling Felicity what he’d seen and learned was that he was still trying to digest it himself. “Sara wanted to go with her.”

Felicity sank back into her chair. “Okay, is there more to this story?”

“Yes. I think Nyssa and Sara had a relationship when Sara was with the League of Assassins. Nyssa wants Sara to return to the League both because of her duty and because she loves her. From what Sara said, it seems mutual but that doesn't seem enough reason to her anymore to continue that life.”

“Woah…” Felicity blinked a few times. And then she chuckled. “I guess that puts a whole new perspective on Sara telling me she thought I was cute all those months ago.”

Oliver huffed a laugh. Trust Felicity to put her own quirky spin on it. “I was— still am— pretty surprised. But on the other hand, it makes sense. She seemed worried by my reaction but I assured her that I had no problem. I’m surprised, not disgusted.”

“Exactly. Well… wow. So what is Sara going to do? Return with Nyssa?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think she knows yet. But whatever she decides, I want to stand by her. Nyssa is a pretty dangerous woman and I have a feeling she wouldn’t take rejection too easily.”

“Well, that’s a cheerful thought,” Felicity muttered. 

“We’ll keep an eye on things,” he promised, getting up from the chair. “No sense worrying until we have something to worry about.” 

As he moved towards the bathroom to change into his regular clothes, Felicity called after him, “Who are you and what did you do with Oliver Queen??” 

That made him chuckle as he peeled off the leathers and stepped in the shower for a quick rinse-off. Honestly, he was so glad to have her in his life, helping him with this mission and sharing herself with him. This would all be so much harder without her at his side. He felt like he was really opening up, for the first time in years. It felt amazing. 

He walked out of the bathroom a while later, intending to ask Felicity if she wanted to grab a late night bite to eat but found the basement empty. She was gone and so was her purse. All that was left was a note on top of her keyboard that read:

 

_Had to go take care of something. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love and kisses! - F_

 

His brow furrowed. He wondered what on earth she could possibly have to run off and deal with that she didn't even wait till he was out or even to say goodbye. He contemplated texting her or calling her but decided he better not. He knew that Felicity valued her independence and the last thing he wanted to do was crowd her. She said she’d see him tomorrow. Her note made it clear that she wasn’t running from him. He just had to remind himself that there was no reason to feel insecure. 

But she could bet he was going to ask her what had her running off so suddenly when he saw her tomorrow at his mother’s first campaign rally. 

***

Felicity’s palms were sweating as she stood on the welcome mat in front of the door to the Queen mansion. She went to great lengths to not come here without Oliver as a buffer and now she was voluntarily here on her own to speak to Moira. For a moment, she questioned her own sanity. But then she remembered that this was the best course of action for this bombshell she’d uncovered. 

She knocked on the large, solid wood door and held her breath, waiting. There was a little guilt from having run out of the foundry so fast, without waiting for Oliver to come out. But Felicity wasn’t sure she could look her boyfriend in the eye, knowing what she knew now, and not spill it all to him in one breathless rush. The very last thing she wanted was to get between Oliver and his family and this was a family issue. Plus, Felicity might not get along with Moira Queen very well but the woman deserved to have a chance to speak up for herself. 

The door was pulled open by a member of the household staff that Felicity didn’t recognize. She’d never seen this particular butler on the Sunday dinner nights. He must get weekends off, she mused as she stepped inside, introducing herself. He seemed familiar with who she was, which was good, and gestured her towards the sitting room when she asked to speak with Moira. 

She hung back as the butler stepped inside the room. “Mrs. Queen?”

“Hmm?” the quiet, distracted response. 

“There is a Ms. Smoak here to see you.”

A pause. “Yes, show her in please.”

The butler stepped back and gestured her forward. Felicity took a deep breath and walked into the sitting room. Moira stood up from the sofa where she'd been lounging. There was a small smile on her lips but it didn’t reach her eyes. 

“Felicity? Is there something the matter?”

“No,” she was quick to say. “Not exactly, at least…”

“And Oliver isn’t with you?” Moira asked, looking over her shoulder. 

Felicity shook her head, her ponytail swinging. “No, it’s just me. I came here to see you.”

“Oh? What about?”

“Tempest.”

A shadow crossed over Moira’s expression. “Oh.” Then, she seemed harden before Felicity’s eyes. “What about it?”

“You see, Walter had me gathering research for your campaign, as you know. And I noticed a considerable wire transfer that you made just a few days ago. I mentioned it to him earlier today and he said he would talk to you about it.” Felicity swallowed her nerves and took a few steps forward. “I could tell that he wouldn’t. British people are really bad liars.”

Moira looked irritated. “Yes, they are.”

“So, I looked into it myself.”

“Why would you do that, Felicity? You weren’t asked to, so what business is it of yours?”

“To be fair, Mrs. Queen, it concerns Oliver and his family and Oliver is very much my business.”

“So what do you think you found out then?” Moira looked seemingly unconcerned but Felicity could read the tension in her frame like an open book. 

“You paid a substantial sum of money to a Dr. Gill. He was the doctor who delivered Thea, which confused me at first. I researched him, I went through files and then I remembered. Your testimony at your trial… you revealed on the stand that you had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn one year before Thea was born.”

Moira’s eyes remained hard and laser focused on hers. 

“Merlyn is Thea’s father.”

There was tense silence for a moment, the only sound in the room coming from the crackling in the fireplace. Moira just stared at her for a long moment before taking a deep breath and circling around her slowly. “I can see why Oliver, Tommy and Walter have such a high appraisal of your capabilities.”

She came to a stop in front of her and fixed her with another hard look. “So. What are you going to do with this information?” 

“Right now, I’m telling you what I know. Because I want you to tell Oliver and Thea yourself. I think you deserve that chance, as their mother. And they should hear it from you.”

Moira’s lips twisted in a cruel approximation of a smile. “I’m not going to tell either of them anything. And neither are you.”

For one terrifying moment, Felicity thought maybe Moira would call a couple of armed guards to collect and “deal with her”. But then she shook that ridiculous idea. Moira was scary, hard and fierce, but she wasn’t the sort of woman that would kill her son’s girlfriend.

“Mrs. Queen, if you do not tell him, I will.”

“Please understand me, Felicity. I know how much you love my son. I see it in your eyes. And I know how much he loves you. I’ve never seen my son so happy and it’s something I never thought I’d get to see again after he came back to us. So for that, I am grateful for you,” Moira said. “But there are realities to consider here. If you were to tell Oliver this, it would rip his world apart and he would always blame you for that. I have no doubt that he’d hate me for the lie, but he’d hate you too, for bringing it to his door.”

Felicity was stunned. “You’re wrong.”

“No, I am _right_. You are a part of this life now, this family, and that means you have to let some things go for the better of those you care about.”

For the briefest of seconds, Felicity could see a life stretching before. A life where she kept secrets to keep people safe, to keep them close to her. She saw her turning into the woman before her. Strong and resilient, sure, but flawed and bitter. And ultimately alone. She shivered at the prospect. No, that wasn’t her. That wasn’t who _she_ was and she wouldn’t let Moira turn her into a clone of her. 

“The last thing I want to do is keep secrets from Oliver,” she said, notching her chin upwards. “That’s not what our relationship is about. And I don’t want it to become about that either. Moira, I’m not telling you this and giving you this chance to finally break this web of lies yourself because of myself and what I want. I’m doing this because Oliver deserves to know the truth. Your children love you and they trust you. Even if I didn’t tell Oliver this, the news would come out eventually. Secrets _never_ stay secret. You have a chance to reach out to your children and strengthen that relationship and tell them _your_ version of events. You should take that chance before they get this news from some other source or it's uncovered in the midst of your campaign in a much more painful way.”

Now it was Moira’s turn to look stunned. Her eyes were wide and she remained frozen in place. 

“Just please… think about what I’ve said. That’s all I’m asking right now. If you don’t tell him, I will. But I really hope you make the choice to do it yourself.”

Oliver’s mother didn’t say another word so Felicity turned and walked out, seeing herself to the door. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. She hoped that she’d done the right thing, and that she hadn’t made everything substantially worse for all of them. 

***

Oliver checked his watch and saw it was about an hour before his mother's rally and candidacy announcement were slated to begin. He was supposed to introduce her and her new campaign staff had sent over a small prepared speech for him to read earlier. He knew he should be starting for the convention center There was already a great deal of media buzz about the whole thing so chances were it’d be swamped by journalists and onlookers if he waited too long to head over. 

He was about to tell his new assistant to hold his calls when a throat clearing caught his attention. 

His mother stood in the doorway of his office. She wore a nice, understated grey suit and looked as polished and professional as he’d seen her since before the Undertaking.But she also looked hesitant and nervous, two adjectives Oliver had never thought would describe his mother. 

“Mom?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I—“ She faltered a little. “I wanted to discuss something with you. _Before_ my rally.”

“Sure,” he said. He pressed the button his desk to fog the windows of his office and his mother shut the door, giving them some privacy. He gestured for her to sit on the leather sofa and he sat across from her in one of the chairs. 

“Felicity came to see me last night,” Moira told him. 

“She what?” Is that why she’d run out of the foundry while he was in the shower? He hadn’t had a chance to do much more than exchange a few texts with her; she was supposed to be meeting him at the venue in half an hour to support him and his mother during the announcement. He’d envisioned lots of scenarios to explain why Felicity had acted so strangely, but going to see his mother? That didn’t even make the list. 

“She came by the mansion to talk to me,” she said, her hands folded in her lap. “She was doing some research for the campaign at the request of Walter and she found something she had a question about. Walter brushed her off and that should have been the end of it. But not for Felicity.”

Oliver had to smile at that. “She’s tenacious.”

“Yes, she is. She found a large wire transfer and she tracked it. She found out it was money paid to my obstetrician from when Thea was born. Felicity is a clever woman and she connected the dots. She probably did it faster than any of us could.”

His mother’s words were proven correct because Oliver was having a difficult time keeping up. “Wait… what did she put together, Mom?”

She heaved a huge sigh. “Felicity mentioned the moment during my trial, when my affair with Malcolm Merlyn was brought up. Matching up the dates, she figured out the money paid to my doctor was to keep him from revealing a truth I tried to hide 19 years ago. Oliver, the truth is that Malcolm Merlyn is Thea’s biological father.”

It felt like all the air had been sucked suddenly out of the room. His vision tunneled and he had to get up. He had to move. Oliver paced away from the sitting area and towards the large floor-to-ceiling windows. The city was spread out below him, a city that he loved and hadn’t appreciated nearly enough in his callous youth. But it was a city he vowed to protect now. It was a city that Malcolm Merlyn had tried to hurt, that he _had_ hurt. Tommy’s father was an evil man, there was no doubt in Oliver’s mind about that. And now… he learns that evil man is also the father of his baby sister. His whole world felt upended. 

“Oliver?” His mother was at his back, her voice tentative. He turned to face her. 

“I don’t under— how could you keep this from us?” he asked her, feeling raw. “Did Dad know?”

“We didn’t want to tear this family apart. Yes, your father knew. And he loved Thea as though she was his own. He never wanted her to doubt that. Malcolm left right after the affair and was gone for years.”

It sounded like a flimsy excuse to his ears which frustrated him. He clenched his jaw, wanting to bite out any number of bitter declarations at his mother. The only thing that soothed him at all was that his father knew about it. It wasn’t as though Robert Queen had been a paragon of fidelity, but he had been a good father. And Oliver’s heart warmed to know that he had put aside any betrayal and loved Thea regardless. But still, his parents keeping this a secret did not sit well at all. 

“Were you ever going to tell us?” he asked, his voice breaking a little on the last word. 

His mother looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know, Oliver. I hadn’t planned on it. I— I was ashamed. Usually it was your father with the indiscretions and it was a moment of weakness that I was not proud of. Then, when Malcolm returned to Starling and he was so full of rage and bitterness… I didn’t like what he had become. When you and your father were lost, Malcolm swooped in to secure my cooperation and I understood he was no longer the man he’d been when Rebecca was alive. I didn’t want to tie a man like that to our family.”

“But he already _was_ tied to us! You couldn’t undo that just by ignoring it!”

“Oliver, please. Try to understand…”

“I am trying, Mom,” he said. “But what I’m having trouble with is how you thought you could or even should hide this from us, from _Thea_ forever!”

“I was scared.” Her voice was small and he noticed her shoulders hunched inwards. 

The fight went out of him then. He might be feeling confused and angry but she was his mother. And seeing her obviously scared pulled something in him. 

He wondered why Felicity had gone to his mother with this instead of talking to him about it. He wasn’t angry with her about it, but it seemed an odd choice for her to make. “Why did Felicity tell you and not me?” he asked. 

His mother’s expression softened a little. “She wanted me to have a chance to talk to you about it. She thought you needed to hear it from me.”

Oliver relaxed even more, hearing that. Because, yet again, his girl had been correct and had foreseen what he couldn’t. It _was_ better to hear it from his mother than from her. There was virtue in telling the truth, with opening up and not keeping secrets. He was upset and frustrated with his mother, but he could also appreciate that she had chosen to share the truth in the end. 

His mother moved to sit again and Oliver joined her. She seemed more composed now and that set him at ease too. “When Felicity came to see me, I was angry,” she admitted. “I didn’t react very well. I hate to admit that I hoped to intimidate her into staying silent on this.”

Oliver sucked in a breath. “You threatened her?”

“I _warned_ her. I told her I had no intention on telling you or Thea and that if she told you, you would hate her.”

“Oh… Mom…” Oliver closed his eyes. He loved his mother, he did. His family was important to him. But Felicity was important to him too. God willing, she would be a part of his family someday. As much as he hated to split his loyalties, he hated the idea of his mother knowingly intimidating Felicity even more. 

“I will apologize to her,” Moira promised. “After the announcement.”

He nodded. “I think that will help. I don’t want you two at odds. Please don’t put me in the middle because I don’t want to have to choose.”

She sighed. “I don’t want you to either, Oliver. I could see Felicity was nervous but she pressed forward anyhow. Despite everything, I was rather impressed. She did that because she cares about you and this family.”

“Felicity has a big heart. And she’s protective.”

“I’m learning that. She’s a strong woman, Oliver. When I first met her, I didn’t think much of her. She seemed timid and meek and a bit scatter-brained. But I was wrong. She’s smart and capable and strong.”

“She is all those things. And more.” Oliver’s heart squeezed just thinking about all the things he loved about this woman. 

“I can’t think of a better woman for my son,” Moira admitted, meeting his eye earnestly. “She’s good for you and for this family. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, someone who loves you as fiercely as I do and who will protect this family.”

“Are you saying we have your blessing?” Oliver asked, smiling now. 

She lifted a shoulder. “I’d like to spend more time with her, I think. But I am willing to say that I’m glad it appears your taste in women has improved.”

Now, he grinned. “I’ll take it.”

***

After his mother’s announcement, which went off without a hitch, Oliver followed Felicity back to her apartment for the night. She’d stood at his side at the rally, quiet and a little somber, but supportive as ever. Tommy had come too and the sight of him standing beside Thea had made the lump in his throat start to ache. Instead of watching his mother as she gave her speech, he watched them, two of the most important people in his life, stand next to one another without knowing their relationship was bigger than they’d ever imagined. 

His mother hadn’t wanted to tell Thea yet. Oliver wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he didn’t want to keep something so important from her and he didn’t want to deny her and Tommy such a close and important relationship. On the other hand, he wanted to protect her from the hurt she knew it would bring. They hadn’t even discussed talking to Tommy about it. 

These thoughts had swirled in his mind until a headache blossomed. Even now, as Felicity lead them into her small but familiar apartment, he was rubbing his temples. 

“Head bothering you?” she asked. 

He locked the door behind him, sliding the deadbolt. “I feel like it’s going to split in two,” he admitted. 

Felicity disappeared into her kitchen and came out a moment later with a glass of water and a few painkillers in her palm. 

Oliver grimaced, but took what she offered, swallowing the pills back with the water. She knew he hated painkillers, but he knew better than to argue about this with her, especially right now. 

They hadn’t talked about his mother’s revelation yet. There just hadn’t been a chance. But Oliver knew they needed to talk about it now. 

“My mom came to my office today,” he told her. “Just before her rally. She wanted to talk to me.”

Felicity’s eyes were huge behind her glasses. “What did she say?”

Oliver took her hand and lead her over to the sofa, encouraging her to sit and then he sat next to her. “She told me about Malcolm being Thea’s father.”

The breath whooshed out of Felicity as she sunk into the cushions. “Oh thank god. I was really afraid I was going to have to tell you. I didn’t want to be the one to share that with you.”

“I know you didn’t. But I appreciate that you would have, because you honor the truth and my right to know these things about my family.”

She nodded, biting her lip and looking a little bashful. “So… how are you feeling about it?”

“I’m not thrilled,” he admitted. “I don’t like that she kept this from us for so long, that she would have continued to keep it if you hadn’t discovered the truth.”

“Oliver, I’m so sorry…”

“But I am somewhat encouraged that she came to me today and told me herself. What you told her really made a difference, Felicity.”

“She looked like she would have been just as happy to throw me to the dogs last night.”

“But she didn’t. I think she admires you for your strength.”

Felicity looked startled at that. “Moira Queen? Admires _me_? Are you joking?”

Oliver smiled. “I’m not joking. She said that she’s glad I’ve found a woman who is smart and strong and who would protect this family.”

Her cheeks colored but she looked pleased. “I never thought I’d see the day your mother would actually accept me.”

“I’m not surprised, Felicity. You’re amazing and it only makes sense that others, including my mother, see it too.”

“Is she going to tell Thea? What about Tommy, are you going to tell him?” Felicity asked. 

He was dreading her bringing this topic up. “She didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“And what do _you_ think?”

Oliver rubbed at the back of his neck while Felicity watched him expectantly. “I don’t want to tell her anything that might ruin her memories of our dad. She’s… young. She’s been through so much.”

“She deserves the truth, Oliver.”

She made it sound so simple, but he knew that it wasn’t. How could he make her understand that sometimes lies were the best way to protect someone you loved? Something like this… there was no harm in the lie. It was done, in the past. Robert Queen was dead. Malcolm Merlyn was dead. 

“She’s better off not knowing,” he said. 

He could _feel_ Felicity’s outrage building, like it was a physical thing between them. “Oliver, this is _her life_. You don’t get to decide for her what she needs to know.”

“She’s my baby sister, Felicity.”

“Yes, and you are her big brother. You’re supposed to be on her side.”

“I am on her side! I want to protect her! That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Felicity’s shoulders dropped. “I know. But you can’t protect her from life, Oliver. Or from truth,” she said, her voice gentled. 

Oliver blew out a sigh, sitting back in the sofa,. “I don’t want to fight.” 

She leaned into him, almost a cuddle. “I don’t want to fight either.”

“I love you, Oliver. I support you. I just think you should rethink keeping this secret from Thea.”

“I will. I promise. I’m just… not ready yet.”

He could see in her eyes that she wanted to argue that but then she just smiled and leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips. 

He hadn’t realized how much he missed her lips until that very moment. It’d been a long day and he had barely had anytime at all to spend with her. That’s something he could fix, starting right now. He tugged her into his lap, pulling on her arms and then gripping her hips as she settled over him. Their kisses continued, lazy and affirming and perfect. Her curves fit perfectly against his hard edges and they melted into one another. 

Slowly, he coasted his hands over her, feeling the roundness of her ass, her hip, and up the supple curve of her spine. He let his thumbs span around, brushing the sides of her breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath this dress, he could tell, and the simple eroticism of that send the blood in his head rushing to his groin. He wanted to see her, watch her nipples pebble as her arousal built, so he started to tug at the hem of her dress and she lifted enough to allow him to pull it up past her waist. Then, she released her hold on him to reach behind her and pull the zipper down. From there, it was easy enough to whip the garment over her head and toss it into the corner of the room. 

Which left her only in her panties, perched on his lap, looking like heaven and sin all at once. He reached up and loosened her ponytail, pulling the holder from her hair and letting the golden waves spill around her shoulders. There… definitely looking like _heaven_ now. 

“You’re goddamn gorgeous,” he told her throatily. 

“Time to even this score a little,” she murmured, pulling up on the hem of his shirt. He leaned forward, letting her pull his shirt off, keeping his eyes on hers. 

“I want you.” He pressed a kiss to the underside of her jaw as she dropped his shirt to the side. “I need you…” He moved down over her neck, nipping at that spot underneath her ear. “Please, Felicity…”

“Please what?” she asked softly, sighing as he kissed down over her collarbone and onto the round of her shoulder. 

“I want you to fuck me,” he whispered into her soft, fragrant skin. 

Felicity drew back enough so that she could look in his eyes and he nearly gasped. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her eyes so dark, so filled with plain, unadulterated lust. He wanted to lean forward and take one of those luscious, pert breasts into his mouth, but she suddenly lifted off of him, got to her feet. 

Oliver gaped at her, surprised at her withdrawal. But she simply cocked an eyebrow at him saucily. 

“If I’m to do that,” she said, her voice low and sultry. “I’m going to need a lot more room than this sofa.” 

He was still trying to get his brain working as she shimmied her hips and pushed her panties down so they pooled around her ankles. Then, she bent slowly to step out of them and pick them up again. He knew his mouth was hanging open as he watched her straighten up, dying to know what she was going to do next… 

With the sexiest smirk he’d ever seen grace her lips, she tossed the panties at him. He snatched them out of the air before they could smack his face, but not before he got a whiff of her arousal carried in the satin fabric. She winked, turned on her heel, and headed to her bedroom. The invitation was clear. 

Oliver only hesitated for half a second before he launched to his feet and followed after her. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity go on a double date with Tommy and Michelle and a new baddie comes to down... the Clock King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is surviving these last few days of 2016. We're almost there, folks. We can do it! 
> 
> Big thanks to @the-silverforked-sky for being a fabulous beta and a belated Happy Birthday to her as well. She was busy yesterday so some of this chapter might be a lil more rough than usual... That is MY fault, not hers!

“I don’t know about this,” Oliver said, tugging on his tie.

Felicity stepped in front of him, brushing his hands aside and adjusting the knot of his tie herself. “I do. This is a wonderful idea. Michelle really likes Tommy and I think he really likes her. A double date is a great way for them to spend time with each other.”

“Remind me how?” he grumbled. 

“Michelle and Tommy are comfortable around us. First dates are nerve-wracking. By going on a date with us, they’re in a safe place to get to know each other better,” Felicity explained, stepping back and admiring her handiwork. 

“I suppose,” he grudgingly admitted. “But a _suit_?”

“We have a reservation at Table Salt. You know their dress code.”

“The only upside is getting to see you in that dress,” he told her, a lazy smile spread across his handsome features. Felicity did a little pirouette in front of him, the skirt of her red dress flaring a little around her knees. She’d found this dress on one of her shopping excursions with Thea and had known Oliver would love the way it hugged her curves and danced around her legs. 

They were meeting at the restaurant so Oliver drove them over from her apartment, where they’d both gotten ready. He’d brought out the Audi for the night so they got to ride in style. Felicity knew it was less about flash and more about the fact that he hated riding in her Mini, even if she let him drive. 

Table Salt was the fanciest, most exclusive restaurant in the city, and as such it was no surprise they had valet service out front. Oliver smoothly handed off the keys to the attendant and helped Felicity from the car. It almost felt like a red carpet event, minus the photographers. Thank goodness. She _still_ wasn’t used to being in the public eye like that. 

Tommy and Michelle had beat them there, apparently. The maitre-d led them to their table and they found the two, looking excited but nervous and it was a hard call which of them looked more relieved to see them arrive. Felicity felt a pang as she sat down, hoping that the date wasn’t _totally_ tanking.

After they ordered their meals, Michelle and Felicity excused themselves to the ladies room. It was as much to give Felicity a chance to find out how it was going as anything else. 

“I forgot to mention when we arrived,” Felicity said as they pushed their way into the opulent lounge, “you look fantastic in that blue dress.”

Michelle patted the fabric self consciously. “You think so? I was really unsure… it was between this and a pink one that I really, really like…”

“The blue really goes well with your hair, I think” Felicity said, looking up at where Michelle had pinned up her blonde waves. “So tell me. You two were looking pretty awkward when we got here. Are things not going well?”

Michelle sighed and sunk down onto a velveteen chaise in the lounge area and Felicity sat next to her. “No, they’re going fine. At least I think they are. I was so excited all day long for this date. I spent extra time getting ready for it… he picked me up and was so sweet. But maybe he was nervous too? Because he was so quiet and I don’t remember him being so quiet when we met at the club. In fact, we couldn’t stop talking. Maybe we already talked about everything there is to talk about?” 

“Oh, Michelle. You’re probably both just nervous about not messing up tonight, because you want it to be special. You told me you really like him.”

Michelle nodded emphatically. “I do. He’s really funny and charming and sweet.”

“And you’re funny and charming and sweet too,” Felicity pointed out. “If he has any sense, he’s half in love with you already.”

Her new friend blushed. “Thanks, Felicity.”

“We’re going to go back out there, you’re going to be your charming self and he’s going to be his charming self and before long, Oliver and I will be third wheels. You’ll see.”

The pep talked seemed to help Michelle. After they returned to the table, things seemed to pick up considerably. Oliver exchanged a look with her and she wondered if he’d had a chat with Tommy while they were away. Whatever the reason, the nerves seemed to dissipate, especially after a few glasses of wine. 

By the time they were finished with the meal, all four of them were laughing and talking over each other like they were old friends. And Felicity absolutely noticed all the heart-eyes that Tommy sent Michelle’s way. She even caught him reaching for her hand after the dessert was served. All good signs

The four of them stood out in front of the restaurant, waiting for their cars to be brought around. It was chilly and Felicity had her wool coat pulled tight around her. Oliver wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side. 

“Do you guys want to go anywhere after this? Maybe we could go for drinks?”

“We could all go back to my place,” Felicity suggested. “Watch a movie?”

Michelle and Tommy exchanged a look and Felicity could see an entire conversation was taking place. Her friend bit her lip and Tommy’s grin widened. “I think we’ll head off, actually,” he finally said. “Appreciate the offer, but we’ll have to take you up on it some other time.”

Felicity looked to Oliver and he raised his eyebrows at her. “Okay,” he said. “Some other time then.”

The Audi came then and Oliver helped Felicity into the car before getting in himself. They were a block away when Felicity burst out laughing. Oliver even joined her in chuckling. “Do you think they’re going back to his place to hook up?” he asked. “Or hers?”

“I’m just thrilled that they’ve hit it off,” Felicity admitted. 

“Me too. He deserves some happiness.”

That was a true story. After the year Tommy’d had, a little happiness was the least he deserved. 

“Now…” Felicity said, drawing out the syllable and resting her hand over his on his on the gearshift. “How about _we_ go hook up too?”

Oliver looked over at her, a familiar twinkle in his eyes. “In the spirit of double dates, I think that’s a great idea.”

Then he pressed down hard on the accelerator, causing the Audi to shoot down the street. Felicity squealed with delight; he always knew how to get her heart racing. 

***

A few days later, Felicity sat at her computers in the foundry as usual, but Oliver could tell she was feeling off. For one thing, she hadn’t said a word in a half hour, not even when he and Dig and Sara had sparred together on the mats just in front of her. For another, he noticed she kept darting hidden glances at Sara. They were speculative looks, tinged with maybe a bit of insecurity. He thought she’d gotten over that, back in the fall. 

It made Oliver think, as he ran through the rest of his usual workout. He remembered the last time Sara had been in the foundry, helping them, and how it’d made Felicity feel a bit off. He thought it’d been because of what was going on between them (or wasn’t, as the case was), but maybe it was more than that. Or maybe it was just more than that right now. 

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Sara offer to run some blood samples for her on the latest case they were working involving some guy who called himself the Clock King. Felicity visibly stiffened but told Sara to go ahead. Sara didn’t seem to notice how sullen Felicity was about it but Oliver did. 

He waited until Sara went to go see her dad and Dig left for the night. Then, he approached Felicity as she was shutting down her computers. 

“Hey,” he said. 

Felicity gasped, jumping a little. “Oliver! Stop sneaking up on me like that.”

“Sorry,” he said, not sorry at all. “I wanted to talk to you real quick.”

“What about?” she asked. 

“Sara.” Felicity froze and then seemed to just slump before him. “I noticed tonight, when she offered to test Tockman’s blood… you didn’t seem to like that very much.”

“It’s just… that’s something I used to be able to do. And if Sara can do what I do and also fight? Isn’t she more valuable to the team?”

Oliver’s heart ached for her and he wanted to pull her into a hug. But she had her arms crossed and looked very closed off. He had to think of some way to make her feel better. He thought about what Dig might say, if he were the one talking to her right then. 

“Felicity, you’re irreplaceable. Sara could never fill the spot you have on this team because she’s not _you._ We need you. I need you. I couldn’t be the Arrow without you there.”

Felicity’s eyes were shining as she looked up at him. “I must seem pathetic, even worrying about it.”

“No. Not pathetic. I’m sorry that you felt that way, but I don’t want you to ever question what you mean to me and Dig and to this team. I don’t want you to be Sara or be a fighter. I like having you here, safe and sound. You’re my partner.”

She looked a little frustrated at that. “You can’t keep me wrapped up in cotton wool all the time,” she protested. 

“Then just some of the time?” he asked hopefully. 

“Oliver…”

“Just… don’t feel you have to fight to matter on this team,” he told her. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

He drove her home after that, then headed to the mansion. It was his last night there since they’d found him an apartment the week before and he’d be moving in tomorrow. Thea was sad, but the fact was, he was rarely staying at the mansion anymore. His mother, interestingly enough, seemed almost proud. Felicity told him it was because he was making a step towards independence.Dig was coming over bright and early with Roy to help him move his things. Tommy invited himself over to help, which made Oliver question exactly how much moving work would actually get done. Of course, he only would have experienced half of the crazy things he had if he’d ever learned how to say no to Tommy. Apparently, it was still a skill he lacked. 

Oliver had thought he’d just hire some people to set up his new apartment for him, but Thea and Felicity resolutely shut that idea down and took over the planning and organizing of the moving. After the move-in, he and Felicity had plans to take Thea and go shopping for furnishings and other essentials.

The apartment was nearly perfect. It was located in the heart of downtown, within easy distance from Queen Consolidated. It was actually a converted loft apartment in an old building with a lot of character. There was a lot of exposed beams and brickwork and a balcony that spanned the entire length of the first floor. The second floor had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Floor to ceiling windows let in the light from the city. It looked sparse when it was unfurnished, but he saw a lot of potential, or at least he did after Felicity’s encouragement. Initially, the lack of privacy and the spaciousness made him feel more than a little anxious and he worried about how safe a living space filled with so many windows would be. But the more time he spent in the loft, the more he could imagine all the important people in his life existing in this space and that’s what drove him to buy it. It also didn’t hurt that Felicity really liked it and he wanted it to be a place that she’d feel comfortable at and maybe consider living some day. 

Oliver felt like a kid on Christmas the next day as he moved in and showed Dig and Roy around the place. He wished Felicity could have been there but she’d mentioned wanting to spend some time at the foundry, going over the leads from the Clock King case. He told himself that they’d have plenty of time there together in the future. She was going to spend all day with him the next day, shopping around, so he’d have to be content with that. Plus, her dedication to the team and to the city was admirable. He had meant what he told her; he couldn’t do this without her. 

The sun was down by the time he made it to the foundry that night. Dig and Roy followed him in. Felicity had texted him that she’d found some leads for them to follow that night so Oliver expected a full night of vigilante work for all of them. 

What he _didn’t_ expect was to come down the stairs and find Felicity, dressed in some fairly skimpy workout wear, pummeling the dummy with Sara standing by, directing her. He stopped short, causing Dig and Roy to halt as well. 

“What is going on?” he asked. 

Felicity glanced back over her shoulder, her ponytail swinging. “Sara is giving me some training tips.”

Oliver directed a hard look to Sara who just shrugged innocently. From the sparkle in her eyes, she knew exactly what the sight of Felicity in those tight workout clothes was doing to him. But did she know that Felicity training, even for self defense, fed into every sweat-soaked nightmare he had these days? He clenched his fists. 

“What did you find, Felicity?” he asked, already moving towards her computers. He saw her exchange a look with Sara before following him. 

“So Tockman got his hands on that skeleton key, right?” she said, slipping into her chair and flying her fingers over her keyboard. “The key operates on an OFDM wireless signal. I think I can hack in and pick up on a transmission signal.”

“…And??” he prompted. 

“Calm down, Oliver. He’s not transmitting right now so we just have to wait until he does. I have an alert set up but you guys might want to get suited up so you’re ready to go.”

Ultimately, Dig, Roy and Sara agreed to go after Tockman. Dig seemed to understand that Oliver was feeling a bit on edge. As much as Oliver wanted to get out on the street and punch something right then, perhaps those weren’t the energies he needed to work out right then. Plus, he needed to talk to Felicity. He knew it, Dig knew it… So he stayed behind. 

When the alert came in, Felicity sent the team out. Oliver hovered behind her, listening in on the comms as the team closed in on Tockman. He watched as Felicity’s transmission to Tockman was reverse hacked and watched Felicity desperately try to fight it off. He then hacked the public transportation signaling system, disrupting the railway signals in order to aid in covering his retreat. The team had no choice but to deal with the signals and prevent a train collision rather than chase Tockman down. 

As soon as disaster was averted, Felicity sat back, rubbing at her neck. “I hate that he got away,” she murmured. 

“It’s not your fault.”

“Is it? He hacked _me_. I should have been better, quicker… found a way to keep him out. I should have found a way to stop him from hacking those signals. I wasn’t quick enough.”

It looked like Felicity had her own energies to exorcise. 

“Come here,” he said. She looked up at him, looking for a moment like she was going to argue. But then she pushed back in her chair and got to her feet. As soon as she stood before him, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace. 

He kissed her, strong and sure and felt her melt into him, accepting his kiss and giving back everything she took. Her impassioned response only fueled him and he yanked her up against him so she could feel the entire length of him, feel where he was already hard for her. 

“Oliver,” she moaned, tearing her lips from his. He focused on her neck, on that tender, fragrant skin that marked so easily under his touch. 

“I need you,” he rasped. 

“Yes…”

He lifted her up into his arms and marched her towards the cot he had set up at the back of the foundry. Her eyes were hooded and dark but glittering as he set her down on the cot and hovered over her. 

“We need to be quick,” she pointed out. 

“I don’t have a problem with quick.” He yanked off her spandex workout pants, enjoying her gasp at his boldness. “We both need this.”

“Yes,” she gasped as he stroked his fingers over where she was already wet for him. 

“And then you and I are going to have a talk about you training with Sara,” he growled, bending down to nip at her hipbone. 

“Nghh… _later_ ,” she groaned, grabbing at his shoulders, wriggling beneath him. 

Oliver agreed as he pushed down his pants far enough to free himself. As he pushed forward into her warm, pulsing heat, his mind cleared of anything but _Felicity_ and how utterly at home he felt when he was inside of her. 

***

The Clock King was a thorn in her side. A quick fuck with Oliver the night before had helped release her tension but that tension was tenfold the next day as Tockman enacted his revenge for her interrupting his heist the night before. 

While the team was out chasing him down, using the same method Felicity had used the night before, Tockman piggy-backed off of her hack and broke into her network. Dig was there and they both listened in horror as Tockman’s voice sounded out of her computer speakers, taunting them. 

Then, essentially, he told her system to commit suicide and it did. In a shower of sparks and puffs of smoke that were as impressive as they were heartbreaking. How dare that vile man touch her babies, even remotely. The entire foundry was dark, the systems fried. It was going to take her ages to put it back together again. At least a day. 

To say she felt frustrated was putting it mildly. 

It didn’t help that Oliver was lingering around as she dug through the fried innards of her servers, offering platitudes. Sara joined him and her irritation spiked. 

“There’s nothing you can do,” she snapped. “Either of you. In fact, hovering over my shoulder is only making this worse.”

There was silent for a long moment and Felicity focused on the fried circuits in front of her, illuminated by the flashlight Dig was helpfully holding for her, so that she wouldn’t have to see the look on Oliver’s face. 

“Felicity, I just want to help,” he said and there was a distinct note of hurt in his voice. 

“And just what is it you think you can do?” She couldn’t help it. It was the worst thing she could do, to keep snapping at him. 

“We interrupted him again last night,” Sara cut in, diffusing the tense moment. “He’s going to be looking for another score. We should give him one.”

“That’s a good idea,” Oliver said. “I can call Walter and have him liquidate some QC shares, put it in cash in my vault at Starling National Bank tonight. It’ll be too tempting for Tockman to pass up.”

“And with the skeleton key, he’ll have easy access,” Sara added. 

There was a pause and Felicity could feel Oliver’s eyes on her back. She knew she shouldn’t have been so abrupt with him. She just didn’t have it in her at the moment to feel guilty for it. Her frustration was too vivid. 

“I’ll go make this call. Sara, you go to your dinner with you mother and father.”

“I’ll stay here and hold the flashlight for Felicity,” Dig said. 

Felicity remained quiet. 

The foundry cleared out, leaving just her and Dig. Felicity worked, yanking hard on the destroyed circuits and throwing them over her shoulder. She was sulking, she knew it. But she was also angry. No, she was _infuriated_. How dare this man do this and try to keep her down? She would show him… 

“You know, this isn’t your fault, Felicity,” Dig said gently. 

“Really? Which one of the rest of you put up the security safeguards? Maybe if it’d been you or Oliver or even Sara, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” she grumbled. 

“I know you’re feeling a little… crowded with her back down here,” he said, picking his words carefully. Felicity resisted the urge to snort.

“Oliver already talked to me about this. And I’m find, really. It’s just… I feel like everything I’m supposed to be good at, I’m failing miserably. If I can’t keep our network safe, what good am I to you all?” She bit her lip to hold back the tears that suddenly threatened. 

“Felicity, you’re irreplaceable. You will find a way to stop this Clock King, because you don’t give up. We’re all here, supporting you, every step of the way.”

She blew out a breath. She knew Dig was right. She’d stop this asshole because it’s what she did. It was personal now, too. She wanted her own revenge for what he’d done. “I know, Dig.Thank you for being a good friend.”

As she replaced the circuits and wiring, Felicity’s mind raced. She thought about the trap Oliver was laying for Tockman at Starling National Bank. This might be just the chance she wanted to catch this guy for good. It was a trap for the rest of the team, but if she could just get into the system, _she_ could stop him. Doing so from here wasn’t going to happen, not while the whole system was rebuilding for the next day or so. But if she was down at the bank in person? 

If she told Oliver or even Dig what her plan was, she knew they’d talk her out of it. Oliver would have a fit about her putting herself in danger, which wasn’t a road she wanted to go down with him right now considering how opposed he was to her training to fight. And Dig would want to go with her, or worse, tell Oliver. She had to do this on her own because Tockman had attacked her and this was personal as much as it was about saving the city. 

Felicity saw her opportunity when Dig went out to grab them both some dinner from Big Belly. She felt bad for giving him the slip, but it wasn’t enough to slow her steps as she hurried to her Mini and got in. Her hands shook on the wheel as she steered through the streets towards the bank. When she got there, the building was dark and seemingly empty. She parked her car in a nearby alley and snuck in. Letting herself inside was easy, given their electronic security. Her tablet was able to make quick work of the algorithm. 

As she slipped into the darkened bank, Felicity was determined to end this thing once and for all. Tockman would be going down and it would be because of her. Because she wasn’t going to stay down just because that man had bested her once. Or even twice. No, now was when Felicity Smoak fought _back_. 

***

_“She’s shot.”_

The words echoed over the comm link in Oliver’s ear. He heard the small quaver in Sara’s voice, could hear the breathy gasps from Felicity, heard Dig’s sharp intake of air. Him? He was already moving, heading towards where Sara and Felicity had chased Tockman down. 

Oliver’s nerves had been on edge ever since he returned to the foundry and found that Dig didn’t know where Felicity was. He’d left her there to go some Big Belly Burger and when he got back, she was gone. Before he could even rage about that, his phone had buzzed with a call from Felicity…

_He snapped the phone up to his ear. “Where are you?” he growled out._

_“Hello to you too,” she muttered. “I wanted to let you know… Tockman took the bait.”_

_A rock started to form in his stomach. “What are you talking about?”_

_“The money you had Walter deposit. I’m reading his signal at Starling National.”_

_Oliver turned around and looked at the computers through the dimness of the foundry. The power hadn’t even come fully back on yet and Felicity’s computers were still running diagnostics. “What? How do you know that?”_

_“Because I’m here.”_

The fury he’d felt had been hot and quick and had sent him into immediate action. Dig called Sara in while Oliver changed into his gear and they’d been on the road in the team van within minutes. 

Felicity was okay when they arrived, working at a terminal inside the bank. But the place was crawling with Tockman’s men and Oliver’s nerves were shot. If he was short with Felicity, surely no one could hold it against him. Even Felicity herself had looked a little abashed at his gruff reaction to finding her there. She knew he was furious. They all did. 

But they’d had to split up, to try to find Tockman before he not only accessed the bank’s vaults, but before he caused a explosion by shutting down the gas-main release valves. While Oliver and Dig fought off Tockman’s goons, Felicity used good old fashioned brain power to hunt down the man himself. Sara, god bless her, went with her. 

Oliver missed most of their showdown with Tockman due to being particularly busy with a few armed goons at the time, but he did hear the gunshot. He was already headed towards the basement Felicity and Sara had tracked Tockman to. There was only one thought resounding in his mind. _Get to her_. Then, Sara’s announcement that Felicity was shot. 

He got there at the same time Dig did. Sara was tying up Tockman, who lay unconscious. And over in the corner… Felicity was propped up. Sweat stood out on her brow and her face was pinched with pain but she was awake and watching Sara. 

“Call this in to the SCPD,” Sara called out. “Tell them where to find him. We need to get her back to the foundry, to patch her up.”

“Where was she shot?” Oliver barked, marching across the room to Felicity. 

“Shoulder. She…” Sara paused and then sat back from Tockman, “She saved my life.She was aiming for me and she pushed me out of the way.”

Dig’s expression softened. “That’s our girl,” he said fondly. “I’ll be right back, gonna call this in and grab the van. Meet you out in the alley.” 

Oliver knelt next to Felicity and immediately cupped her cheek. She met his eye steadily. “I’ll be fine, Oliver,” she promised him. 

He felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. “Can you lean forward? I want to get a look.”

He helped her, his stomach knotting when she gasped in pain. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. He checked the entry wound, trying not to disturb the fabric of her blouse. It looked clean, simple to extract the bullet. But she would have a scar. He absolutely _hated_ that she’d have a scar. 

“Dig’s here,” Sara announced. “We better get going before the SCPD shows up to fetch this guy.”

Oliver hefted Felicity into his arms and stood. 

“I can walk,” she protested. 

“Let me do this,” he growled. He was still upset with her for having gone to the bank without them to begin with. And she’d gotten shot for it, trying to be some kind of hero.She could have been killed. That bullet could have hit her heart and she could have been dead before he’d ever gotten to her side. The thought made his heart race and his palms go sweaty. 

Felicity was quiet for most of the ride back to the foundry. He could tell from the pinched look on her face that the pain was getting to her. Seeing her in pain just ratcheted up his own stress level, especially when all he could do was hold her hand and will John to drive faster. 

He carried Felicity into the foundry when they arrived, and it was a testament to her pain level that she didn’t even put up a token protest this time. Dig held the door and hurried to get the painkillers they kept on the premises (the ones that Oliver always refused, much to Felicity’s irritation… in this case he thought they might be a godsend). 

“I can stitch her up,” Sara offered as Oliver set Felicity down on the med table. 

“I’ll do it,” Oliver said gruffly. Then, realizing he might have spoken a little harshly. “Its fine, Sara. Thank you for the help tonight.”

She nodded and walked off to change out of her gear and into her street clothes. Dig brought over a couple of pills and a glass of water. 

“What are these?” she asked, her voice quieter than he liked. 

Dig exchanged a look with Oliver. “Aspirins.” Oliver could tell that they were not aspirins at all. But likely something strong enough to calm her nerves and soften the pain for a few hours. 

She accepted them, swallowing them down with a few mouthfuls of water. Dig took the glass back and then said, “I’m going upstairs for a drink, give Lyla a call.”

“Can you call Roy too? Check in on him? We didn’t hear from him today,” Felicity said. 

Dig nodded. “I’ll do that.”

A few moments later, they were alone. “I need to get your blouse off,” Oliver explained. “So I can get at the wound.”

Felicity nodded. “It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah.I can give you a local anesthetic, if you want?”

“Like when you get a filling at the dentist?” she asked. 

“Just like that. Comes in a needle though,” he warned her. 

“Well… either deal with a needle or the full sensation of you digging around inside my shoulder for a bullet…” Felicity turned a little grey at the thought. “Better get the needle.”

He smiled as he gathered all the supplies, including the lidocaine, some anesthetic wipes, a bandage, an extractor and a suture kit.Felicity had unbuttoned her blouse but was having a hard time getting it down her arms with her shoulder already stiffening up and probably hurting like hell. Oliver helped her pull her arms out of the sleeves as carefully as he could. 

The blouse was ruined so he tossed it aside. He would grab Felicity one of his spare button downs to put on when he was done. She wore a simple pale blue cotton bra and normally, the sight of Felicity in her bra was enough to get his heart pounding. But the blood dripping from the wound on her shoulder dampened his arousal considerably. He focused on the task at hand, talking to Felicity to distract her as he injected her with the lidocaine near the bullet wound. 

When she saw the syringe as he set it down on the tray, her eyes widened. “Wait, you already did it?” 

“Most of what makes needles awful is anticipating the prick,” he explained. “You were distracted, you didn’t know it was coming, so you didn’t notice.”

Oliver gently started to clean around the wound so he could see the edges. He tested the flesh and asked her if she could feel what he was doing. When she told him that she couldn’t he picked up the extractors and went to work.It helped that he had experience distancing himself from what he was doing because digging around in his girlfriend’s shoulder for a bullet was a horror show that he didn’t even want to contemplate. Later, after he was done and after Felicity had gotten some rest, they were going to have a talk about what she’d done tonight. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to dig too deep to find the bullet. It really was a clean wound, all things considered. He pulled the bullet out with the extractors and examined it to make sure it was intact and there were no pieces left inside the wound. It was whole, thank goodness. He dropped it in a pan, the dull metallic thud echoing off the walls. Felicity was quiet, which always made him nervous and he paused. 

“Are you okay? 

She nodded. “Yeah. It feels weird. I can tell you’re doing something back there but it doesn’t hurt and it’s really, really weird.”

The tenor of her voice told him that Dig’s “aspirins” were taking effect. He smiled and went back to work, cleaning up the wound and sanitizing it. Sewing was easy work, something Oliver had done dozens upon dozens of times. By the time he tied off the thread, something inside him settled. It felt _right_ that he was patching her up. He remembered how she’d patched him up at Tommy’s cabin the previous spring. Now, in a small way, he was repaying the favor. It felt good to take care of her. 

He fixed a bandage over the newly sutured wound and then placed a kiss to the top of her shoulder. “All done.”

He came around so he could face her and saw a somewhat dopey but peaceful smile on her face. “You’re the best boyfriend. Thank you for patching me up.”

“You’ll have a scar,” he told her, regretfully. 

To his surprise, she brightened. “Really? Like you and Dig and Sara? This means I’m really one of the team now, huh?”

Oliver huffed. “You’ve always been one of the team. You _are_ the team.”

Before Felicity could reply, Oliver’s phone buzzed on the table next to her computers, where he’d left it before running out to the bank. He picked it up and saw it was from Thea. 

 

**There’s an emergency at the house. Please come home. - TQ**

 

His brow furrowed. He couldn’t imagine what it would be. Felicity had hopped off the table and looked over his shoulder. 

“What do you think it is?” she asked. 

“I don’t know. But I’m going to change really quick and head over there,” he told her. 

“I’m coming with you,” Felicity told him. 

“Felicity…”

She held up a hand. “Nope. Not arguing. Let me just get changed too and we’ll head over there together.”

They really needed to talk about her eagerness to put herself in harm’s way. But chances were an emergency simply meant that their mother had thrown out Thea’s favorite Backstreet Boys CD so he wasn’t going to get too worried. Yet. 

“Fine. Let’s be quick though.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver runs into a familiar face at the Queen mansion, and things suddenly get very real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My fantastic beta @the-silverforked-sky put some amazing time in on this chapter. All the thanks go to her.

Tommy had passed Felicity a to-go cup of the truly terrible coffee they had upstairs in the club. It helped clear her head a bit, as she waited for Oliver to contact Dig and Sara and let them know where they were going. Dig replied that he was headed to the foundry and Sara mentioned she’d meet them there later as well. By the time she got behind Oliver on his Ducati, she’d finished her coffee and though her shoulder was sore, she felt the pain was manageable. An ibuprofen or something in a little bit wouldn’t be amiss. 

She clung to his back as he sped through the streets of the city, enjoying how masterfully he commanded that motorcycle, how he took extra care with her riding on the back. She watched as the city became the suburbs and then the suburbs gave way to the bigger, fancier estates that bordered the city on the west side. It was dark, and she could see little more than the vague shape of trees whipping past them. Felicity held on tighter. 

When Oliver brought the Ducati to a stop near the front door, Felicity noticed a very fancy looking sports car parked off to the side. Showy and ostentatious. She hadn’t seen a car like that here before and figured it was probably a visitor’s car since Moira preferred to be driven around and Thea had the one car she’d been gifted with for her birthday. 

After she took off her helmet and balanced it on the seat, Oliver took her hand and led her towards the house. He opened the front door, already calling out, “Thea? Mom?”

Moira appeared, a smile on her face. “Oliver! Felicity! What brings you by tonight?” 

“Thea sent me a text. Said there was an emergency,” he told her. 

Oliver’s mother looked a little confused. “Thea’s not here, but she should be home soon. She was dropping Roy off at home after her shift at Verdant.”

“Then why—“ 

She cut him off. “There’s someone here, actually, that I’d like you to meet.” They followed Moira to the sitting room and Oliver stopped just inside the doorway, grabbing Felicity’s arm and pulling her to a halt beside him. 

Sitting on a sofa was a man with dark hair, shot through with grey at the temples, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and wearing an eyepatch. He looked rakish but polished and exactly like the sort of man who would drive that sports car she’d seen out front. Felicity looked to Oliver and was surprised to see the strangest expression on his face. He was clearly trying to mask his reaction but Felicity could tell he was absolutely shocked to see him, making her wonder if he knew who this man was. 

“I’d like you to meet Slade Wilson,” Moira said, sweeping past them and smiling at the dark stranger. “Mr. Wilson, this is my son, Oliver.”

He stood, slightly shorter than Oliver in stature but Felicity could see he was solidly built. When he spoke, it was with a polished Australian accent. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver’s blue eyes hardened. “What are you doing here?” he growled. There wasn’t anything remotely welcoming in his tone or his posture. In fact, he was trying to pull Felicity behind him, but she couldn’t figure out why he would do that. 

Moira gave him a quelling look. “Mr. Wilson just made a sizable contribution to my campaign,” she explained. Mr. Wilson smiled beatifically. If Oliver radiated nothing but tension and distrust, Mr. Wilson was the picture of calm and manners. 

“How generous of him,” Oliver said from between gritted teeth. 

Felicity found her nerves growing the more she saw Oliver’s reaction to this man. Who was he? She had the feeling they should be worried but she didn’t know why. 

“Oliver, where are your manners,” Moira said. “Mr. Wilson, I’d also like to introduce you to Felicity Smoak. She is the Vice President of Technology at Merlyn Global and my son’s girlfriend.”

Slade trained his remaining eye, dark and sharp, on her as he reached out to shake her hand. He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. “It’s more than a pleasure to meet you, miss,” he said, his voice nearly a croon. Something about it set the hairs on the back of Felicity’s neck on end. 

Oliver was quick to draw her back to his side, his eyes on Mr. Wilson the entire time. The two men met each other’s eye and there seemed to be a silent conversation being had there, in the silence. Felicity was aching to know what that conversation was about. Moira seemed oblivious to the tension that was filling the room like a thick fog. 

Still, Felicity could keep up the act until she knew more. “Same to you. And thank you for contributing to the campaign, every little bit helps.”

He smiled, a cold expression on his hard face. “I felt compelled. It was the least I could do for Mrs. Queen. I’m a businessman, first and foremost and, while I haven’t been around Starling for very long, I have noticed this city needs a pro-business mayor like her to spread growth through urban investment.”

Felicity bit her tongue, wanting to say that Moira also supported social programs for the city, to help the poor and disenfranchised. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be helping out as much as she was. 

“We were just discussing how to combat the rising wage gap when you two arrived,” Moira explained. 

“And I was saying the answer lies in her budget proposal,” Mr. Wilson said. He turned his eye on Oliver and the intensity there was palpable. “You know, when I look at your mother, I think about everything this town went through after the quake, and what you’ve been through since returning from your time away. It made me realize you and I have something in common.”

Oliver stiffened, gripping her hand tighter. “And what’s that?”

“I know how difficult it is to pick yourself back up when people have written you off.”

“Indeed.”

Mr. Wilson shifted, backing off a little and the calm, easy demeanor was back in place. He regarded Oliver and smiled. “What’s wrong, Mr. Queen? You look a little piqued.”

Oliver seemed to shake himself. He caught the way his mother was looking at him and then he looked to her. Felicity again squeezed his hand and this time he squeezed back. “I’m fine, thank you,” he said to Mr. Wilson. “Just feeling a little tired after a long day.”

“Mr. Wilson was kind enough to bring us a bottle of Australian rum. Will you both join us for a drink?” Moira asked. 

Oliver hesitated for a moment. But then he smiled, his fake billionaire playboy smile, and said, “Yes, of course.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Yes, thank you, Mr. Wilson.”

Slade nodded his head while Moira poured out four glasses of the amber liquid. She passed them out and they each held them aloft. Felicity knew Oliver was nervous but she also knew that if he had reason to suspect the rum, he would never let her drink it. And he seemed to be ready to take a sip. She would follow his lead. 

“What shall we drink to?” Felicity asked, feeling it was appropriate. 

“To friendship,” Slade replied, his one eye glittering. Oliver grit his jaw but nodded. They each took a small drink. Oliver was quick to put his aside and Felicity did the same while Moira cooed over the quality of the rum. 

Slade gestured to one of the paintings on the sitting room wall of a large schooner, caught in a turbulent sea. “This here is a beautiful piece,” he said. “Tell me, does your family spend much time on the water.”

Oliver gave Slade a hard look as Moira answered.“Oh no, not since the Gambit sank. Sailing was more my late husband’s passion than mine or Thea’s.”

Slade became the picture of regret and sympathy and set his glass down to clasp Moira’s hands in his. “I’m so sorry, Moira. Forgive me for bringing it up. Twice now I’ve callously brought up what must be quite a painful incident or your family.”

Oliver coughed but it sounded like he was trying to hide a snort. It drew Slade’s attention back to him. “You were a brave soul, to make it back to your family alive and healthy.” 

There seemed to be a certain emphasis on that last part. Discomfort was coming off of Oliver in waves and she wanted nothing better than to soothe him or at the very least get him away from this man, whomever he was. 

“I don’t like to talk about it,” Oliver finally replied evenly. 

“I can understand,” Slade said with a quirk of his eyebrow. “All that time on that island must have been hell for you.”

He said it like he knew. Not like he suspected, but like he knew _personally_ just what that hell had been. Felicity felt a pit grow in her stomach at the implications of that. 

“Do you have any other artwork, Mrs. Queen? I fancy myself a bit of a collector and I love to view new pieces.”

“Yes, surely. Follow me, and I’ll show you some of our best pieces.”

“We’ll catch up with you in a moment,” Oliver said as they started to walk from the room. Slade stopped, stock still. 

“Oh, no. That won’t do. We should all stick together,” he said, his tone friendly but Felicity could read the menace in his tone. He didn’t want them to run off, now that he had them. But who was he exactly? What was his game here?

Oliver dipped his head and took Felicity’s hand. They followed his mother and Mr. Wilson from the room but a few steps behind. Oliver bent down to whisper in her ear as they made their way into the east wing of the house. “You remember the story I told you about the mirakuru? About my friend who was injected and he went mad?”

His voice was barely loud enough for her to make out. Felicity tried to keep her expression neutral, in case either Slade or Moira looked back at them, as though Oliver was whispering romantic things to her. 

She nodded, in lieu of replying. She remembered that story very well, in fact. The pain on Oliver’s face as he retold it, the pride she’d felt that he’d opened up to her and Dig about something in his past, painful as it was. 

“This is him. Slade Wilson was my friend.”

Felicity froze in place, the shock shooting through her. Oliver tugged her hand to remind her to keep walking. “You remember how I said he was furious with me, focused on me?”

She nodded again, her mouth feeling as dry as a desert all of a sudden. 

“He promised me he would get revenge, against me and my whole family. You have to get an SOS out to the team somehow.”

It was right then that Slade did look around. When he saw Oliver’s head bent towards hers, Oliver straightened with that casual smile of his, that Felicity hated, in place. Felicity forced herself to also smile and pretend like Oliver hadn’t just told her something that turned the whole world upside down. 

Oliver said he’d killed him! How was he alive? Was that the mirakuru? If he still had the mirakuru in him, did that mean he had super-strength? That meant this man could kill all of them at any moment without breaking a sweat. 

As they moved into the east wing and Moira began pointing out the paintings on the wall, Felicity slipped her phone from her pocket. She had just the thing to let the team back at the foundry know they needed some backup. She held the phone behind her back and using one hand, tapped on an app that she knew was placed in the upper righthand corner of the screen. Once activated, she just had to tap anywhere to send out the beacon. 

It was a quick app she’d written up last year and one she insisted everyone have on their phones, in case they were captured or taken or needed help at any time, day or night. The alert would instantly wake her computers in the foundry, emit a loud noise, give a location on the beacon and open the mic on her phone to play through what was happening. Pretty genius coding, she thought. 

Now, they just had to wait and hope that the team got the message. 

***

_Slade Wilson was alive_. 

Oliver’s worst nightmare was coming true, right in front of him. The man who had sworn to hunt down every person that Oliver loved and kill them was standing in his mother’s house right now. And it was clear, _very_ clear, that he hadn’t forgotten his promise.

He hoped that Felicity had been able to alert the team. If anyone could, it was her. He regretted bringing her with him now, because now Slade had seen her and met her, knew who she was, where she worked and, worst of all, her significance to him. 

“Do you have a family, Mr. Wilson?” Moira asked as they moved to the next hallway containing yet more priceless works of art. Felicity kept her hand in his, holding on for dear life from the feel of her grip. He was glad for it. The softness of her hand against his kept him grounded and focused, preventing him from drowning in his own memories. Because of her presence and support, Oliver was able to control his shock and panic.

“Sadly, I do not,” he replied solemnly. Oliver wondered what had happened to the wife and child he’d mentioned back on Lian Yu. 

“There is no one special in your life?” his mother pressed. 

“There was.” Slade turned his head and met Oliver’s eye. “But she passed away a few years ago.”

His meaning was clear. The guilt that was always with him surged again. He felt Felicity’s hand on his back, giving him strength. 

“I’m so sorry,” Moira said. 

Oliver cleared this throat. “My mother and I have had to deal with a lot of loss, unfortunately. And eventually we learned that you have to move on.”

Slade’s glare grew harder. “Hmm. I don’t believe that.” He turned his attention back to Moira. “I’d heard that your husband had an affinity for 19 th century landscapes. Are there any in this wing we can look at?” 

“Maybe another day,” Oliver cut in before his mother could speak. “We have some family business that we need to discuss right now.” 

“Oliver!” His mother looked aghast. “Where are your manners?” 

He wanted to get Slade out of here, get to his team, regroup and plan for how to deal with this. But he had to get this man out of his family’s home. Before—

“Mom! Ollie! I’ve been looking all over the house for you!” Thea said a little breathlessly. She smiled at Moira and looked expectantly at Slade. Oliver’s fists clenched. 

“Thea! There you are. I’d like you to meet a new friend of ours, Mr. Slade Wilson. He’s a businessman, new in town, and he’s contributing to my campaign.”

He watched Slade take his sister’s hand and press a kiss to her knuckles, just as he’d done with Felicity. He wanted to snatch her away from him, forbid him from even _looking_ at her. 

“Welcome, Mr. Wilson. Are we looking at paintings?”

“Yes, and I was about to go tell the staff to open up the west wing. Mr. Wilson would like to look at the 19 th century landscapes.” 

Moira ducked out, leaving Oliver, Felicity, Thea and Slade alone together. 

Slade said under his breath, loud enough for him to hear but not Thea, “Not yet, kid.”

His blood ran cold. 

Slade exchanged some pleasantries with his sister then while he looked to Felicity, the worry he felt surely clear in his eyes. He wished he knew if the team had gotten the alert or not. 

Moira returned then and invited them to follow her to the west wing so she could show off the paintings. “Though I believe Thea is more suited to present them than I am.”

“Oh?” Slade sounded intrigued. 

Oliver was gritting his teeth. 

“My senior year, I was obsessed with art. My teacher made me bring my entire art history class over here to show them our pieces. It was pretty mortifying.”

“I’m sure that it wasn’t. You’re a very lucky girl to have known such privilege,” he said, his voice smooth and charming. Oliver read the disgust that Slade was clearly hiding. Back on the island he’d had plenty to say about his privileged upbringing.

Slade caught his eye again and this time, his tone flattened at he added, “And I’m very fortunate to have met your entire family here tonight.”

Shit. That was a clear threat. Why didn’t he keep a bow at the mansion? Not that Slade would let him out of his sight to go retrieve it. Fuck! He hated to be trapped and cornered like this. Especially with his family at risk. And he most definitely counted Felicity in with his family. 

Thea stopped before a well loved painting of his father’s. “This is a Curtis Swan from 1882. Fun fact: he actually painted it with his left hand due to severe arthritis.”

Slade looked closely at the painting. “It’s absolutely exquisite.”

“It is. I can’t tell you how many offers we’ve had from private collectors for it. But it was one of my dad’s favorites. Wasn’t it, Ollie?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Then you must never sell it,” Slade declared. “I believe that when we lose someone we love, we have the obligation to honor their memory.”

Again, he was clearly referring to Shado. Oliver knew he’d cared for her, but this had grown to an obsession, a fixation. Any feeling of _love_ Slade had once had for Shado was now overtaken by his madness and his need for vengeance. Shado would be heartbroken to see the change in him. 

Thea continued to lead the tour, pointing out paintings both famous and obscure and Slade made the appropriate approving noises as he studied each of them. Oliver found his own stress level rising with each moment that passed and the only thing that kept him grounded in the moment was the feeling of Felicity’s hand in his. He knew she was tense as well and probably had about a million questions. 

Finally, their tour ended with Thea looping them back around to the entryway. Oliver’s nerves were ratcheted up; if Slade wanted to act, now was his moment. 

“Thank you for such a wonderful and insightful tour. You, my dear,” he said to Thea, “were a remarkable guide.”

Thea blushed. “Did you have a favorite?” she asked him. 

“I found ‘The Promise’ to be particularly compelling,” Slade answered. 

“Thea! Are you home?” The front doors opened and there was Roy. Oliver had never been so glad to see that ratty red hoodie in his life. 

“Roy! I thought you were at home, I just dropped you off there.”

“I wanted to you see you,” he said, stepping to her side and wrapping an arm protectively around her waist. He looked hard at Slade and Oliver understood. The team got the alert. Roy knew what they were dealing with here, the threat that Slade presented. 

“Uh… this is, uh…” Thea fumbled the introduction, clearly still surprised to see her boyfriend there with them. 

“I’m Roy Harper,” he said, sticking his hand out towards Slade. 

“Slade Wilson.” He accepted Roy’s hand and then winced a little. “That’s a particularly firm handshake you have there, son.”

“Yeah, you too.” 

Oliver thought it was a good move, actually, to let Slade know that Roy was also dosed with mirakuru and that he wasn’t the only one with super strength in this house right now. The reminder that they had their own trump card against Slade’s superhuman strength gave him a much-needed boost of confidence. If Oliver could have clapped the boy on the back right then, he would have. As it was, he simply held firm to Felicity’s hand. She’d stayed pretty quiet during the tour and he knew she was frightened and concerned for him. 

“Ollie, there you are!” Sara jogged down the staircase, looking casual and unconcerned. But Oliver saw how her gaze zeroed right in on Slade. 

“Sara? We didn’t hear you come in,” Moira said, surprised. 

Sara stopped to hug Felicity for a moment and then gave Oliver a slight nod. “I didn’t want to interrupt the tour.”

“Mr. Wilson, this is my son’s friend, Sara Lance,” his mother introduced. 

Slade inclined his head towards Sara. Oh, they already knew each other plenty well. “Of course, you’re the girl who came back from the dead.”

“We’re just glad to have her home where she belongs,” Felicity said. 

“I can see that. You’re lucky, Mr. Queen, to have so many people around who mean so much to you.”

They were now three against one. Four, if Felicity was included and Oliver would really rather she wasn’t. He imagined Dig was someplace nearby as well. He felt an easing of the tension that had been eating him up for the last hour. That made it easier for him to face Slade with a relaxed expression in place. 

“So, what you like to do now, Mr. Wilson?” he asked, the challenge clear in his voice. 

Slade looked around at each of them, understanding what they were doing. A small smile danced around his lips, a sardonic and almost hateful expression. “Well, I hate to break up the party but I think I should be going.”

He turned towards the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Moira. And the rest of your lovely family.” 

Something about the way he said that made the dread settle anew in Oliver’s stomach. It was a threat. Plain and simple. 

Sara came to stand next to him and murmured under her breath as Slade let himself out, “Dig’s got a shot lined up outside.”

That made Oliver stop and think. And worry. Because Slade was clearly a man of means now, and that meant he probably had loyal support. That realization shook something loose in his memory, stunning him for a second. Then, he had a sudden idea. 

“Mr. Wilson,” he said as jogged ahead to catch up with him. “May I walk you to your car?” 

Slade gestured for him to join him and Oliver closed the front door behind him, noticing both Sara and Felicity’s stricken expressions as he did so. 

Oliver waited until they were several paces away from the house before he spoke. 

“The Count, Cyrus Gold, the man in the skull mask, all of that was you, wasn’t it?” Oliver asked him. “They all worked for you.” He’d wondered who the Count had meant when he said his operation was supported by a “man of means” who hated him. Now, it all made sense. As did the rest of it. There’d been signs of Slade’s presence all along and Oliver hadn’t seen it. 

“Well, I have my allies, just as you have yours.” Slade stopped next to his outrageous sports car and clicked a button, causing one of the doors to swing up. “John Diggle, for example. You’re probably wondering why he hasn’t taken his head shot by now.”

Oliver couldn’t fight the horrified emotion from showing on his face. But he hated that seeing it made Slade smile. 

“Don’t worry. He’s still alive. For now.” He lowered himself into the car and shut the door. He rolled the window down, however, probably just so he could have the last laugh. 

Oliver felt his own desperation and panic swelling within him. “Slade, what do you want?” 

“Five years ago, I made you a promise. Do you remember that? I’m here to fulfill it. I’ve been planning this ever since I heard you were ‘rescued’. So brace yourself, kid. And I’ll see you around.”

Oliver watched Slade speed off down the driveway. In his mind, the promise Slade had made to him five years earlier echoed sinisterly. 

_“To kill you now would be a mercy. You cannot die until you have suffered the same way that I have suffered. Till you have known complete despair. And you will. I promise.”_

***

Oliver woke up with a start, sweat standing out on his forehead. He sat up in the bed, trying to chase the image of Shado pointing a gun at his head, and pulling the trigger, out of his mind. It didn’t take a therapist to tell him what that dream meant. In light of learning Slade was alive and very much still interested in making him suffer, it was no surprise that his guilt over the hand he played in Shado’s death was rearing its ugly but familiar head. 

She didn’t always _shoot him in the head_ , but there was no denying he got the message. Loud and clear. 

He was shaking and he took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He was in bed with Felicity, after all, and he didn’t want to disturb her with his own fucked up brain. Even more than he already had, at least. He hadn’t woken her up when he came out of the nightmare, at the very least. Her form was still in the bed next to him. 

It took him nearly five minutes to get his heart to slow to its normal rhythm, for the sweat on his skin to dry in the cool air of the bedroom. He kept reminding himself that it was just a dream, until he actually started to believe it. Laying back down and pulling Felicity into his arms would also help. 

So he lay back down and turned into her, reaching out to pull her warmth back into his body. But… she was not warm at all. In fact, she was cool. And still. 

With a gasp, Oliver sat up, reaching for the light on the nightstand. Dim light filled the room and he turned back to the bed to find… Felicity. Laying in a pool of blood. Her eyes wide and sightless. 

With a shout, Oliver sat bolt upright in bed. Felicity’s name was still on his lips, his heart was now pounding so hard that he worried it might give out on him. He whipped his head towards where Felicity lay and saw she was… just sleeping. 

It’d been another nightmare. 

He closed his eyes and the image of Felicity, laying dead on the bed next to him, was burned into his eyelids, haunting him. Oliver pushed up off the bed and paced away, unable to sit still with that awful image haunting him. What he wanted to do was shout his outrage until it echoed off the walls. But Felicity ( _who was okay, she was alive, she was breathing_ ) was sleeping and he didn’t want to disturb her. 

So he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and walked out of her bedroom, closing the door gently behind him. What he wanted to do was go several rounds with the training dummy or do fifteen sets on the salmon ladder. Or maybe run ten miles in the misty pre-dawn air. He hated to leave Felicity here alone, though. With Slade out there, actively targeting him and those he loves, Felicity was more at risk than ever before. 

Slade knew who Felicity was. He knew she was his girlfriend, that she was important to him. There was no hiding it earlier at the mansion and Slade had made it clear he noticed. Oliver knew his mother and sister were a target, Slade had promised him that much back on the Amazo, but now Felicity was a target as well. And, given Slade’s twisted grief over Shado, she might be his number one target. 

He was still shaking as he walked into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. It should be a glass of vodka, maybe that would calm his nerves. 

After leaving the mansion earlier, the team had gathered in the foundry so Oliver could make sure everyone knew what they were dealing with. Everyone was confused how Slade was alive. To be fair, so was he. But it was clear that the mirakuru was the reason and that the regenerative properties of the serum were more than any of them had ever considered. Which made Roy look more than a little uncomfortable. 

Diggle, who was sporting a goose-egg on his head from where he’d been knocked out while waiting to take a shot at Slade, was concerned that this meant Slade was unstoppable. Oliver was certain there was a way to stop Slade, but his big concern was what the collateral damage was going to be in the meantime. Felicity had remained mostly quiet, thoughtfully cataloguing everything Oliver told the team. The lack of her babbling had unnerved Oliver even more, somehow. 

She’d remained quiet all the way back to her apartment. She hadn’t fought him at all on his insistence he would stay the night with her. He wasn’t about to leave her alone, not now. 

Oliver felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin. He needed to do something, be proactive, try to outrun and outthink Slade. The only problem was that Slade knew pretty much all of his tricks. He’d taught him those tricks, as it happened. And Slade was far better at thinking on his feet than Oliver was. And they both knew it. 

Oliver paced, sipping at the water, willing his heart rate to slow down. He couldn’t even _think_ like this. 

Maybe the best thing to do, the best thing for Felicity, was to distance her from him. If he could make it plain to Slade that he wasn’t with Felicity, that he wasn’t in love with her, then maybe he could remove the target from her back, at least. There was nothing he could do to lessen the focus on his mother and sister, but Felicity he could save. 

He stopped, sighing. Could he really push Felicity away? Given everything they’d been through together, how much they went through just to be together and how happy and at peace he’d been since… how could he turn his back on that? How could he break her heart, and probably break his own too? 

But then he recalled that image of her laying dead, her body cold, her skin pale, her blood soaking the sheets. And Oliver knew that he would do whatever he had to do to keep her safe. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver leans on old ties to try to help him find and defeat Slade. Felicity isn’t terribly fond of his new tactics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and is ready to tackle this year and make it better than the last (let's be honest, not really that hard to accomplish!). 
> 
> Big thanks as always go to @the-silverforked-sky for keeping me on track.

It was still early when Oliver left Felicity’s apartment. He’d called Dig, no doubt waking the poor man up, to come keep an eye on her while he was out. Dig seemed to understand Oliver’s need to take action, though Oliver had a feeling that he didn’t agree with his plan for how to take that action. 

With Dig sitting on Felicity’s sofa, providing a barrier between the outside world and the bedroom where Felicity still slept, Oliver was able to do what needed to be done. He got on his Ducati and roared through the pre-dawn streets of Starling, heading towards the Russian garage that hid the headquarters of the Starling branch of the Bratva. 

Going to the Bratva with this was probably a bad idea, Dig wasn’t wrong about that, and it would probably burn that bridge for good. But keeping the people he loved safe was worth the risk. And Oliver was willing to do _anything_. 

The garage was just showing signs of life when he pulled up outside. Alexi Leonov and a few of his goons came out when they heard his bike and stood there, arms crossed, watching him. They didn’t trust him, Bratva tattoo or not. Which was fair, since Oliver didn’t trust them either. 

“What can I do for you, _kapitän_?” Alexi put derisive emphasis on Oliver’s Bratva title, which also told him that not only did Alexi and his men not trust him, they didn’t respect him either. “There are no gulags here in Starling.”

Oliver winced at the reference to the business in Russia several months ago. Of course Anatoly had told them about that. “Anatoly talks too much,” Oliver growled. 

Alexi didn’t look concerned and shrugged negligently. 

“I need you to find a man for me,” Oliver said. “His name is Slade Wilson. He’s rich, Australian, and he’s missing an eye. I need to know where he sleeps.” Underhanded, maybe, but Oliver recognized that his best chance to defeat Slade was attacking when he was vulnerable. 

Alexi looked to his men and then took a step closer to Oliver. “First, I need your assistance with my business. There is a man who owes me a substantial amount of money.”

Oliver had expected this. Everything was tit for tat in the Bratva. You received no favors without giving them first. But he didn’t have the time or patience for breaking kneecaps right now. 

“I’m not here to trade,” he told Alexi. 

A dark look crossed the bald man’s face. “You know how our brotherhood works,” he spat. “I do a favor for you and you do one for me.”

“Put it on my tab, Alexi,” Oliver replied evenly. “I don’t have time for these games.”

Clearly, the Bratva leader didn’t appreciate lifelong tradition being referred to as ‘games’. He scowled. “Make time. My services are of no use to you unless yours are a use to me.”

With a nod, Alexi sent his men into action. They came at Oliver in a formation that he was well familiar with. It took little effort to deflect their attacks and disarm them. Within seconds, he took the guns which had been pointed at him just a moment earlier and turned them on Alexi’s men. He was _done_ playing nice. 

He glared as he held the guns on Alexi and his men. “I know exactly how this brotherhood works. And right now, it works for _me_.”

***

“I’m sorry you have to babysit me,” Felicity said, handing Dig a mug of coffee. 

He accepted it gratefully, inhaling the scent before taking a drink. Felicity might not be much in the kitchen, but she knew how to make a good cup of coffee. Coffee was important. Coffee kept the world going ‘round. 

“I’m happy to do it, Felicity,” he told her. “I want to make sure you’re okay just as much as Oliver does.”

She sat next to him, her own mug cradled in her hands. “I love you for caring, Dig, you know that,” she told him. “But if Slade wants to kill me, he can.”

Dig looked stricken. “Felicity…”

She shrugged. “Nothing you can do can stop him. He’s got super strength. If he wanted to get in here right now and take me, he absolutely could.”

His shoulders fell when he realized she was right. “But I feel better being here when Oliver isn’t, Felicity.”

She smiled, shaking her head. These were her boys, her silly, protective, _wonderful_ boys. “If it makes you feel better, you’re welcome here whenever, Dig.”

“You keep making me coffee like this, you won’t be able to get rid of me,” he promised. 

A knock at the door interrupted them and Felicity immediately stiffened. She talked a good game to Dig but there was no denying that the thought of Slade Wilson coming in here to take her or kill her was pretty flipping terrifying. Dig set his mug down and got up, already pulling the gun from his waistband. He approached the door and looked through the peep hole. He relaxed then, stepping back to open the door. 

Oliver came inside and Felicity’s heart sunk at the dark look on his face. She’d had that sinking feeling ever since she woke up and Oliver wasn’t in bed next to her. She knew this man, she understood how his mind worked. The threat Slade presented was a perfect opportunity for Oliver to withdraw from everyone around him, including her. 

“Thanks for staying here, Dig,” Oliver said. “Can you hang around for a little big longer? I want to talk with Felicity.”

Dig seemed to understand what Oliver wasn’t saying. He nodded. “I’ll be outside, doing a perimeter check.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

Oliver locked the door behind Dig and before he could say a word, Felicity hurried into the kitchen. She wanted to delay what Oliver was going to say. Maybe she could ply him with her fantastic coffee. As if roasted beans could change his mind on this. 

Still, she poured him a mug and left it black, just the way he liked it. When she turned to bring it to him, she found him lingering in the doorway to her kitchen, a haunted look on his face. 

“Where did you go?” she asked, handing him the mug. 

He accepted it but didn’t drink. “I went to talk to Alexi Leonov. From the Starling Bratva.” 

She hadn’t expected that. “The Bratva? What on earth for?”

“I need to know where to find Slade. They can find him for me.”

“I might be able to help with that too,” she pointed out. “Or did you not think to ask?”

Oliver ignored her, taking a drink of the coffee at last. She swallowed, nervous. It was a long moment before he spoke and as soon as he did, Felicity wished she could have stopped him. 

“I think we should break things off,” he told her. 

Her anger bubbled up. “Why, because you think if Slade doesn’t think you love me that he’ll suddenly lose interest in me?”

“Well, yes.” Oliver’s tone was flat and defeated. 

“You think if you break up with me, Slade will believe that it’s because you don’t love me? You actually think he won’t see through that??” 

Oliver looked a little conflicted. “But if I distance you from me…then maybe—“

“Maybe nothing!” Oh, she was _mad_ now! “Slade was there last night, he saw us together. He knows, Oliver, and you can’t turn back time and reverse that. What you can do is deal with it going forward. Pushing me away is not the answer. Because even if we are broken up, Slade has to know that I work for you. He knew about Dig after all, right? And if what you said about Slade backing the Count is true, then he absolutely knows from _that_. So he will target me regardless.”

“Dammit, Felicity!” he shouted. He slammed the coffee cup down, sloshing the liquid over onto her countertops. “What do you think it would do to me if I had to see you killed by this man, because of me? Do you understand how that would utterly ruin me?”

Felicity pushed off the counter she’d been leaning against and had her arms wrapped around him a second later. She held on tight and soon felt his arms wrap around her. He crushed her to him, his head tucked into her neck as he bent over her. He was breathing hard and her heart went out to him. 

“I know you’re scared,” she told him. “I’m scared too. But we’re in this together. We have to be.”

Felicity thought maybe she was getting through to him. He was holding onto her so tightly. She knew he was scared but she hoped that together and with the team, they could deal with this. 

But then Oliver released her and stepped back. He ran a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at her. 

She took a step towards him. “Oliver?”

He backed away some more. “I— I can’t, Felicity. I need to do something. I need to stop him.”

“You are _not_ pushing me away, mister,” she growled at him, so scared she could feel her heartbeat in her throat. 

He wilted. “Fine. But, just… let me do this. Okay? I need to do this.”

Felicity bit her lip as she watched him. She was torn between wanting to force this conversation right now and giving him the space to deal with this the way he wanted to. She just worried that the way he wanted to deal with this was going to get him killed. As much as he seemed pained at the thought of finding her dead, she felt the same about him. 

But she could see by the haunted look in his eyes right now that he wasn’t ready to hear it. 

“What is _this_ exactly?” she wanted to know. 

“Alexi is going to get back to me any minute now with the information on where I can find Slade. As soon as I have it, I’m going after him.”

“Can I at least persuade you to think about this first, go in there with a plan in place?”

“I think catching him by surprise is more important.”

Felicity felt irritated. Did he not see that Slade had to be expecting him to do this exact thing? She was really worried that Oliver would be running right into a trap. But she could also see that she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of this. At least not this time. She may have been able to talk him out of pushing her away, for now, but he would not be deterred from this crazy plan of his. 

“Okay,” she told him quietly. “I’ll let you run for now. But you are _not_ to do anything stupid, Oliver Queen. I want you back to me in one piece.”

“I need to keep you safe. I need to keep _all_ of you safe,” he tried to explain. 

Felicity nodded. “I get that, but I need you to keep yourself safe too,” she blurted out of desperation. Then, she sighed and added, “Please consider taking Dig with you. For me?”

Oliver looked impatient. “Felicity…”

“Please, Oliver.”

He sighed. “I’ll consider it.”

She realized that was as much as she was going to get from him. It wasn’t much. But for now, it would do. She nodded again. “Okay. Then go do what you need to do.” Unable to watch him leave, she turned away from him under the guise of cleaning up the few dishes that remained in the sink. 

“I’ll send Dig back in,” he said. 

“Fine,” she replied. 

She listened as he walked out, the front door closing behind him. Only then did she let the gasping sob out. It had been clawing at her chest but she couldn’t let it out till he was gone. 

_Fucking_ Slade Wilson. 

Felicity tried to steel herself again, reign in her emotions and at least get her labored breathing under control by the time Dig came back in. When she heard the front door open and close a few minutes later, she’d just about managed it too. 

“Felicity?” Dig’s voice was edged with concern, which made her wince. He was absolutely going to know how much all this was upsetting her. There was simply no way around that. The man was like Yoda. 

“In the kitchen, Dig,” she called back. 

She heard him walk in but hesitate in almost exactly the same spot that Oliver had stood in. She turned around to find him looking at the counter, where the coffee mug with the slopped over coffee was still sitting. He looked back up to meet her eyes. 

“So what do you think of this plan?” she asked him. “He told you, right?”

Dig sighed. “He did.”

“Did he ask you to come with him?”

“No. In fact he made me promise to stay here with you.”

“Here as in _here_? Oh hell no, we’re going to the foundry.”

“Felicity…”

“You can tell him I strong-armed you,” she said. “I am not sitting around my apartment, waiting for Slade Wilson to come get me.”

“Fine. Now are you going to tell me what else is bothering you?”

“What makes you think that Oliver going on a suicide mission against a souped up madman bent on revenge isn’t the only thing upsetting me?” she asked, picking up Oliver’s discarded mug and taking it to the sink to wash out. 

Dig joined her, grabbing a washcloth and running it under the water before going over to the counter to clean up the spill. “Because I know you and I know him and I know these dangerous situations are hell on his PTSD.”

She sighed, setting the coffee mug aside. “He tried to push me away. He thought that if we were broken up, Slade wouldn’t think I was important to Oliver anymore.”

He let out a low whistle. “That’s impressively awful thinking, even from him.”

“I let him know exactly what I thought about it too.”

“You have every right to,” he told her. “But maybe you should think about cuttting him a little slack too. A relationship like this is new for him. And he’s better than he was when he first came home but he’s still damaged.”

“I know that, Dig,” she said softly. “But pushing me away is not the answer.”

“No, it’s not. But you need to understand why he thought it was. You need to go easy on him, even when you want to rage. He loves you so much and he’s _happy_ with you. He’s scared to death to lose it.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

Dig smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. “That’s my girl. Listen, if he tries to push you away again, I’ll be the first one to tell him to knock that shit off. I’ve got your back in this. But I’ve got his back too.”

“I’m very glad you do,” she told him. “He needs you, Dig.”

“He needs you too.”

***

When Oliver returned to the foundry that evening, he was livid. 

“He wasn’t even there,” Oliver raged, slamming his bow back into it’s case. “He had this whole set up for me to walk in on.”

_So… like a trap_ , Felicity thought. 

“Alexi Leonov was there, dead. If I thought I’d damaged my relationship with Bratva before, that was nothing compared to my status amongst them now. They are never going to want to work with me again. And Slade clearly knew every step I was going to make before I even thought about making it..” He ripped off his quiver and sent it slamming down onto a table, arrows clattering noisily to the floor. 

Felicity and Dig exchanged a look. 

“He had a movie all set up, footage of Shado. I have no idea where he got it, unless he went to her old home in China and found it.”

“He sounds like he’s lost his mind,” Felicity said. 

Oliver looked at her and then slid his angry gaze over to Dig.

“I thought I told you to stay with her _at her apartment_ ,” he growled at Dig. 

“Hey! Don’t get on his case!” Felicity cried, launching to her feet. “I wanted to come here. And I would have come with or without Diggle. If you want to get angry at someone, get angry at _me_.”

“Hey, I’m not okay with that,” Dig said, stepping in between them. “Felicity isn’t doing anything wrong. She can’t stay cooped up in her apartment forever.”

“I’m just as safe here as I am at my apartment,” she pointed out. 

Oliver looked frustrated with his jaw clenched and his eyes hard. “I’m going to change.” He stormed towards the back of the basement and Felicity blew out a breath. 

“I mean, we expected that Slade would never let himself be taken that easily,” Felicity said. 

“Yeah, but it’s disappointing. It’s clear that Oliver was counting on this,” Dig said, sighing.

“He’s desperate. Slade really scares him.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this scared. Not even when we went up against Malcolm last year.”

“Don’t let him hear you say he’s scared,” Felicity warned. “No good would come of that.”

Dig chuckled. “You know our boy.”

“Yes, I do. But seriously, Dig, how are we supposed to fight this guy? I’ve seen Roy’s strength and it’s crazy what he can do. Slade has had years to hone his skills, he’s smart and he knows Oliver a lot more than Oliver knows him.”

“I don’t know, Felicity. Right now I think our best course is to support Oliver and learn as we go.”

Felicity nodded. “Why don’t you head home. I know you wanted to see Lyla tonight.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. You’re released from babysitter duty.” 

Dig snorted. “Call me if you need me.”

Felicity listened to Dig going up the stairs, the bang of the security door. She was alone with Oliver, which these days tended to be a good thing. But tonight, she was dreading it. 

When Oliver finally joined her, she spoke first. “I know you’re disappointed that Slade wasn’t there.”

“I’m not just disappointed, Felicity,” he said. “I completely severed my relationship with the Bratva for this and all I got was a taunt from Slade. He holds me responsible for Shado’s death and he’s absolutely right.”

“Oliver… I thought we’d been over this,” she said softly. 

Oliver tore off the henley he was wearing and turned around. He pointed over his shoulder at the dragon tattoo that covered his entire shoulder blade. “You see this? Slade gave me this. Shado had this same tattoo and Slade gave it to me to remind me of her and what I’d done.”

Felicity’s heart ached for him. She watched as he pulled the henley back on. “That doesn’t mean her death was your fault, Oliver.”

“As far as Slade is concerned, it is. And if it weren’t for me, she’d be alive. So yeah, it’s at least a little bit my fault.”

“Slade is insane, Oliver. He’s truly lost his mind. You cannot tell me you agree with someone whose cheese has so thoroughly slid off his cracker.”

Oliver was silent for a long moment and she watched him pace away from her and then back again. “We never really got a chance to talk about what you did the other night. When you went to the bank to chase down Tockman all by yourself.”

Felicity closed her eyes and rolled her head back. _Here it comes_ , she thought. She’d been waiting for this. “Oliver… you know why I did that.”

“Yes, I do,” he told her. “But it was dangerous and irresponsible to go without telling anyone. And it’s the sort of thing you can’t be doing again, especially now.”

“I understand that Oliver.” She couldn’t help the note of exasperation in her voice. 

“Do you? Because it seems like you were determined to come into the foundry tonight, regardless of what I thought was best.”

“Okay, woah. Wait. Back up a minute. You never told me that you wanted me to stay at the apartment or that you didn’t want me to go to the foundry. I never heard those words from you.”

“Yes, but I told Dig—“

“You told Dig to stay with me. He did.”

“Felicity… I just want you to be _safe_. I can’t be out in the field and worrying about if you’re putting yourself in danger. That’s a recipe for disaster because the last thing I need when I’m out there is to be distracted!”

Her mouth hung open. “Oliver, I don’t think that’s fair—“

“I had an idea, while I was changing,” he said. “Maybe you could go to Vegas for a few weeks, visit with your mother. That way I could deal with Slade and not have to worry about if you’re safe. I won’t be distracted, we can still be together… it’s the perfect solution.”

Felicity was actually speechless. It didn’t happen very often and she could probably count on one hand the number of times she’d truly been speechless. This was one of those times. She turned away from Oliver, walking away, trying to grasp what to say in response to that. How did he have it so _wrong_? How did he have _her_ so wrong? 

“Felicity?”

She held up a hand. The emotions were all crowding in her throat at the moment and she wasn’t sure what would come out if she opened her mouth. She might burst into tears or scream or do something equally terrible. 

His eyes were on her as she paced through the foundry, trying to gather herself. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her. Did he know he’d pushed her too far just now? How could she tell him that he had? She’d promised Dig that she’d go easy on Oliver. And she understood that he was under a lot of stress at the moment.

Finally, she sank down into her chair in front of her computers and swiveled around to face him. “I’ve never really talked to you about my mother,” she began. “So I’m going to assume that you think me packing up my life here in Starling for weeks on end, leaving my _job_ , to live with my mother… is an actual option here. And even if she and I had a great relationship, even if I was okay with taking that much time off of work when I’m in the middle of putting together a big project, I would have to leave _you_. And the team. While you’re fighting the biggest battle you’ve probably ever faced. Do you _actually_ think that I could turn my back on you guys and go hide in the desert? Really?”

Oliver looked pained and, for the first time maybe ever, Felicity was glad to see it. He needed to know he’d pushed her too far. 

“Felicity, I’m sorry. You’re right, I don’t know about your relationship with your mother. And expecting you to be able to turn your back on the team, I didn’t see it like that either.”

“I know you didn’t,” she said. “You think it’s a great way to keep me safe and keep your mind clear. But it’s putting me in a box and hiding me away. I can’t live like that. This team is important to me, just like it is to you. And it’s my _choice_ to be here.”

Oliver sighed. “Fine. If I can’t convince you to visit your mother, then I have to keep looking for ways to stop Slade before he can cause any more damage. I’m going to go see Waller.”

“Waller?” The name wasn’t familiar to Felicity. 

“Head of ARGUS. It’s a long story.” It usually was with him. “I don’t like leaving you here and Dig is already gone… can I talk you into hanging out with Tommy upstairs until I’m back?”

“I suppose there’s no point in suggesting I stay down here by myself or you letting me go home, is there?” 

Oliver gave her a look. She threw up her hands. 

“All right! I give up. Escort me upstairs.”

He rolled his eyes but he took her hand anyway. 

***

A week later and things on the Slade-front were no better but they seemed to have all slid into a new normal. Oliver was still tense and on edge, but Felicity was tired of fighting with him about that. He was really trying not to push her away and to let their private moments be a sanctuary amidst all this worry about Slade. She had to give him credit for that. 

Still, the brooding was starting to get to her. 

Slade was frustratingly hard to find. Even going to Waller for information hadn’t seemed to help, though the head of ARGUS had promised Oliver they would keep a close eye out for him. Somehow, the waiting for Slade to pop back up was worse than if they were having to deal with him in the flesh. 

There was a hit on the police scanner that caught everyone’s attention though. A woman hijacked a car headed into Starling, forcing the man behind the wheel to smuggle her past a checkpoint. What was the checkpoint for? Oh, only to look for Helena Bertinelli, who was reportedly heading for Starling. Local law enforcement was on high alert, given her violent past. And the fact that her father, Frank Bertinelli, was set to go on trial at last for his crimes. 

The name Helena Bertinelli still gave Felicity the shivers. She remembered all too well how it’d felt to be held at crossbow-point and forced to hack the FBI database. Then bound and gagged and left on the floor of her office for Oliver to find. Though, the memory of how concerned he’d been when he found her made her heart flutter more than a little bit. Felicity could still recall the roughness of Oliver’s hand as he’d cupped her face so gently, checking to make sure she was okay. 

And now look at them. They’d come so far!

“What I can’t figure is how Helena was able to get this guy, a frat boy, to smuggle her into the city,” Sara remarked, reading the news story over Felicity’s shoulder. 

“That’s easy,” Felicity said. “I know frat boys. And anyone with boobs can get a frat boy to do _anything_.” 

Oliver looked mildly insulted. “I was a frat boy,” he reminded her. 

She smiled beatifically at him. “I rest my case.”

He tried to look annoyed but it came off as charmed. Dig snorted and Sara flat out laughed. 

While status-quo reigned supreme in most facets of their life, other elements took a sharp left turn. One of those elements was Roy Harper. He was having a harder and harder time reigning in his anger, no matter how much Oliver and Sara and Dig worked with him, training him, trying to get him to control and focus his anger. The worst part was Thea was starting to notice and Roy was feeling the stress of trying to keep his instability from her. 

One afternoon, Felicity accidentally overheard a conversation between Oliver and Roy. She’d been in the bathroom, changing out of her workout clothes she’d been wearing while training with Sara. She thought everyone else had gone home already but when she came out, she heard Roy’s voice. 

She didn’t know why she ducked behind some shelves to listen rather than walk right out there and announce her presence. Maybe it was the low, conspiratorial tone of the conversation or the fact that Roy and Oliver didn’t often have heart to heart talks at all. She was just as concerned about Roy as Oliver was and the two of them having an important talk was a great idea, in her mind. 

That’s exactly what she’d thought until she actually heard what they were talking about. 

“Look, I know what you’re going to say,” Roy said peevishly. “I had it under control last night.” 

Last night, the team had gone out and Roy hadn’t responded to Oliver’s direction in the field. In fact, he’d had to be pulled off a bad guy before he’d killed him with his bare hands. The incident had everyone shaken. 

“Yeah, so under control that I almost put another arrow in you,” Oliver snapped. 

“I was going to back off, but you never gave me a chance.” Roy’s tone was sulky and sullen. 

“A chance? I shouted at you to back off, Roy! The only thing that snapped you out of it was when I brought up Thea!” 

There was a pause. “That’s why you called me Speedy, isn’t it?” He scoffed. “I thought you were trying to give me a nickname. If you do, by the way, don’t call me Speedy.”

“Noted,” Oliver agreed. “Roy, you’re dangerous. I thought I was helping you controlit.”

“You are!” Roy insisted. “I can’t even look at a bowl of water without wanting to slap it.”

“No, it’s not working! The first time I take you out in the field in weeks and you nearly kill someone!”

“Come on, Oliver. That’s not fair…” 

“I’m sorry, I should have asked you to do this months ago,” Oliver said. 

“Asked me to do what?” 

“Stay away from Thea.”

Felicity had to cover her mouth to quiet her gasp. He wouldn’t! Why was pushing away the important people his go-to move in situations like this! Didn’t he see that Thea gave Roy motivation? A reason to want to try to be a better man? Why would Oliver want to take that away? And why would he want to take that away from his sister? Felicity was sure his reasoning would come down to ‘it’s for her own protection’. That seemed to be a common mantra with him. But when would he realize that his sister’s life wasn’t his to control? 

She wanted very badly to step out from behind the shelves and tell Oliver this. But before she could, Roy was speaking. And it was clear that Oliver’s suggestion… no… his _order_ was breaking the boy’s heart. 

“No! I— I can’t! Oliver…”

Felicity’s heart went out to him. 

“She’s not safe when she’s around you,” Oliver told him, his voice quieter now. “I’m not sure any of us are when you lose yourself to this rage. You love her. I know that. And that’s why you’re going to do what I’m asking.”

Wait, was Oliver asking Roy to break up with Thea??


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver tries to navigate things with Thea but then the unthinkable happens and his world is turned upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thanks to my beta @the-silverforked-sky for giving this a look for me!

Felicity listened as Roy walked away without another word. The young man practically vibrated with his anger and Felicity winced at the slam of the door leading out to the alley.

“You can come out now,” Oliver said to the empty space. She winced again and blew out a breath. 

Felicity stepped out from her hiding space. “How did you know I was there?”

He gave her a deadpan look. 

“Okay, fair enough,” she grumbled. “But Oliver, what you said to Roy—“

“Is exactly what he needed to hear. You know as well as I do how out of control he is right now. I can’t have that around my sister!”

“How do you know you didn’t just pour gasoline on a small fire?” she countered. “Listen, I can push back on you trying to push me away. But you do this to your sister and to Roy… you could be making our big problems even _bigger_.”

Oliver looked defeated. “I’m trying the only way I know how, Felicity.”

She took pity and pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. “I know you are,” she said. “But meddling in your sister’s love life is a bridge too far. I’m pretty sure she’d agree with me on that, by the way.”

He huffed into her shoulder. He had to know she was right, but she also knew he hated to admit it. 

Felicity continued to hold him, but her own mind was whirling. She didn’t like where Oliver’s head was at, trying to push her away, trying to get her to leave town, talking to Roy about breaking up with Thea… he still wanted to run from his problems. Just like he was used to doing. He did it after the Undertaking. Shoot, from everything she’d heard, it’s what he did when he first got on the Gambit too. Laurel had wanted to move in with him and he wasn’t ready yet. Instead of talking to her about it, he ran away. With her sister. Running was something Oliver was _very_ good at. 

She had a feeling the only way they could get through this mess with Slade together was by confronting each of those problems, head on and without fear. But how could she get Oliver to understand that? She had no idea how, but she knew she might be the only one who could get that message across. She had to say something.

Felicity released him and met his eye. “Oliver, I don’t think secrets and pushing away those we love is the answer here. We need more truth, more honesty, more coming together if we want to beat Slade. Roy needs to be supported by his friends if he’s going to be able to control himself.”

“Felicity, it’s not that simple.”

“How do you know?” she challenged him. “You still haven’t told Thea about Malcolm being her father. Do you understand that every day that goes by without her knowing the truth that it’s going to be harder for her to forgive you for keeping it from her?”

The hurt flashed in his eyes. “You know why I’m keeping it from her, I want to protect her—“

“And you want to protect her by getting Roy to break up with her. I’m sorry, Oliver, but that’s another terrible idea. It’ll only push her further away, and it’ll push Roy further away… I know this is what comes easiest to you, but you have to try _another way_.”

Oliver looked uneasy at the thought. She was basically asking him to do something that felt unnatural to him, and she appreciated how hard that was. 

“I don’t know if I can, Felicity,” he argued weakly. 

“It’s worth a try,” she said. “Thea is worth it. Defeating Slade is worth it. Don’t shut people out. Bring them in. I know you have a big heart, Oliver. Use it.”

Felicity could see that Oliver was pushed as far as he could handle at the moment. She knew him well enough to know that backing off was the best course of action right then. So she released him and let him step back. 

“I’m going to go upstairs and see if Tommy is up there, see if he can buy me a drink. I want to ask him about how things are going with Michelle anyhow. Just think about what I said,” she told him. 

He nodded. “I will.”

Felicity grabbed her purse and walked up into the club, mentally crossing her fingers and hoping Oliver would make the right choice. With a smirk, she remembered her talk with Moira, how she’d urged her to do the right thing and how Moira had pushed back. But ultimately, the Queen matriarch had told Oliver the truth on her own. Felicity realized, and hoped, that maybe Oliver was more like his mother than he probably would like to admit. 

***

After Oliver did a few rounds on the salmon ladder and thought things over, he followed Felicity upstairs and felt a small measure of relief when she saw her sitting at the bar, chatting with Tommy who was pouring her a drink. He hated to hover over her, knew she didn’t like it, but he could breathe so much easier when he saw that she was with someone. He knew it was silly, but he just couldn’t help himself. 

He texted his sister and got a reply telling him she was up in the office so he went directly up there. The door was closed so he knocked on it. A muffled reply invited him in so he opened the door and stepped inside the office that also doubled as extra storage for the club. 

His sister was sitting on the sofa, her head in her hands. She sniffled and Oliver reached behind him to lock the door before approaching her. 

“Thea, what’s wrong?” he asked, sitting next to her on the sofa. 

“It’s Roy. He— He just tried to break up with me,” she said. 

Oliver’s gut twisted. That was his doing. Those tears on his sister’s face were his fault. He felt like a heel. 

“What happened?”

“He came up here and he told me that… that he needed some time. I tried to argue with him but he just put up this wall and I don’t know what to do, Ollie! I love him!” 

He had the sinking suspicion that Felicity was right on this, which he should have seen coming. He sighed and rubbed his sister’s back. “Just give him a little space. I’m sure he’ll come around.” Oliver would have to talk to Roy, tell him that he made a mistake in telling him to break up with his sister. He had to fix this because seeing his sister heartbroken just wasn’t working for him after all.

But it made him think of something else. If Felicity was right about Roy and Thea’s relationship, she was probably also right about telling Thea the truth about Merlyn too. 

“Thea, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

She looked up, wiping her eyes. “What is it?”

“I learned something very recently and it was a shock to me. I didn’t know whether I should tell you or not. Felicity told me I should, because she believes in total honesty.”

Thea huffed a small laugh. “I knew I liked her for a reason.”

“When she was doing some work for Mom’s campaign, she found something in the paperwork. It was a mystery to her and if you know Felicity—“

“I know. She can’t stand to leave mysteries unsolved.” 

“Exactly. So she dug deeper and she found something that sent her to talk to Mom. Mom didn’t want her to reveal what she’d found and Felicity insisted she not keep it from you and I. So Mom told me, just before her rally. She wasn’t sure about telling you and I wasn’t sure either because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Ollie? What is it?” She looked small and nervous and as young as she had since he’d first come home a year and a half ago. 

Oliver took a deep breath. “Felicity discovered that Mom had paid off her doctor from when you were born to keep him quiet. She learned that what Mom wanted to keep quiet was the details of your birth. Namely… who your father is.”

Now Thea looked scared. He reached out to grab her hands. “But… my father is your father. My father is Robert Queen.”

He _hated_ to have to do this to her. To take away a little bit more of the childhood that she cherished. But he heard Felicity’s voice in his mind, telling him that honesty was better. He had to trust that she was right about that. 

“Thea, your biological father is Malcolm Merlyn. From the affair Mom testified about in court. But you have to know that Robert was your father in every way that matters.”

Thea’s eyes got big and round. And then she was up on her feet, pacing away from him. “No! No, Mom said… No! Dad was my father!”

His heart ached to see her going through this. He knew he would be devastated to learn his father wasn’t the man he’d grown up to admire and respect and love. He got to his feet and went up to Thea, putting his hands on her shoulders. She tried to shrug him off, rejecting everything including him, but Oliver persisted. Finally, she broke down and turned in his arms. He caught her easily and held her to him, letting her dampen his henley with her tears. 

When her sobs grew quieter, Oliver spoke, “This doesn’t make you any less my sister, Thea. And dad loved you, so much.”

“Did he know?” she asked, her voice thin and watery. “Or was Mom lying to him all these years too?”

“Yes, he knew. Mom said that it never got in the way of how he felt about you. He loved you, Thea. You have to know that.”

She didn’t say anything as she pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around her body. “I just… I can’t process this right now,” she said. 

“Thea, please. Come with me and we’ll talk to Mom.”

She shook her head. “I’m not ready to talk to her. She wanted to keep this from me. I need… I need some space to think about this first. Can I have some space?”

“Of course, Thea. You can have whatever you need.” 

“Okay.” She turned towards the office door, unlocked it and opened it. Then, she paused and looked back at him. “Thank you for telling me, Ollie. It really means a lot. Tell Felicity thanks too.”

“I will.”He watched, hurting, as she walked out. His instincts told him to chase after her but he also knew he should honor her request for space. It just was hard to see his little sister so upset. 

Oliver picked up his phone and texted Roy right away. He wanted someone to keep an eye on Thea, especially now when she was vulnerable. He didn’t get an answer right away. Roy had to be upset too, and probably angry at him for pushing him to break up with Thea. Apparently, Felicity had been right… this had all been a terrible mistake.

***

The debate was just about to start and Oliver was standing near the back of the auditorium. He’d gotten there a little late and didn’t want to disrupt anyone. The plan had been for him to arrive with Thea and for them to sit up front, but she hadn’t met him at QC like they’d decided on a few days ago. In fact, he hadn’t heard from her since last night, when he told her about Malcolm in the office at Verdant. 

He was starting to get a little worried, but he also didn’t want to overreact. 

“Phew! Made it!” 

He looked down to see Felicity join him at his side, looking out of breath but otherwise perfectly coifed. “I was starting to wonder,” he mused as he lead her down the aisle to the front row where their seats were reserved. The crowd was still settling; it was nearly time. 

“I’m so sorry, my meeting with the head of finance ran over. Tommy gave me a ride, he’s parking his car right now and said he’ll slip in the back and watch from there.”

They found their seats and settled in. Felicity looked over at Thea’s empty chair and a crease appeared between her brows. “Where’s Thea?”

Oliver bit his lip. “I’m not sure. She was supposed to meet me at QC to ride over here with me.”

Felicity’s eyes went round. “Is she okay? I know you said she was upset last night after you told her about Malcolm, but how is she feeling today?”

Oliver was about to reply when the moderator began to speak, asking for everyone to quiet for the debate. The TV cameras swung in and the candidates walked out. His mother looked as calm and composed as ever and so did Sebastian Blood. It looked like they were both here with their A-game. 

The moderator led both candidates through some pre-selected questions about their stance on local issues and their specific plans for how to rejuvenate business in Starling City. Both his mother and Sebastian drew blood on each other and it was difficult to tell which of them was “winning”. 

After about fifteen minutes, the moderator introduced the video question portion of the debate, for people to submit their questions to the candidates via Skype. The first one was about how they each planned to fund their proposals for reviving the city.

Felicity leaned into him. “You never did tell me if you spoke to Thea after last night,” she said in a low voice.

“No, I haven’t,” he replied in a whisper. 

“Aren’t you worried?” she asked. He was afraid to say that he was. If he admitted he was worried, did that mean there was something to worry about?

“Now, we have the next in our series of video questions submitted by Starling City voters. This one comes from Thea Queen.”

Everyone, including his mother on stage, exchanged a confused look. A moment later, his sister’s face showed on the huge video screen that hung behind the candidates. A gasp went up from the crowd and his mother put her hand to her mouth to stifle her cry. 

Thea was disheveled, tear tracks visible on her cheeks, her eyes were bloodshot and she was wearing the same clothes she’d worn the day before when Oliver had spoken to her. She was clearly bound to a chair, a loose gag hanging around her neck, a bright light being shone in her eyes. 

“Help!” she cried. “Help! Somebody help me, please! He— Sla—!” 

The transmission suddenly went silent but the video continued. A man in full costume, mask and all, appeared behind and held a sword to her throat. Oliver grabbed Felicity’s hand. Text appeared over the image of his sobbing sister: **HOW MUCH IS THEA QUEEN’S LIFE WORTH TO YOU?**

Felicity squeezed his hand. “Oliver!”

It was Slade. That suit couldn’t be a coincidence. He remembered the security camera footage Waller had shared with him about the man they called “Deathstroke”.It was the same armor. Which meant that… Slade Wilson had his baby sister.

He was up and out of his chair without knowing where he would go.Felicity was up too, and she was pulling him towards the stage where his mother was. She was still up on stage, clinging to her podium, sobbing. The rest of the auditorium was in a panic. 

Dig ran up to them. “I’m going to go get the car, get you guys out of here.”

“Good. Thanks, Dig. We’ll head over to QC to set up a headquarters for this,” Felicity said. 

Oliver felt _numb_. He couldn’t even think straight. His sister was being held hostage? She’d been taken? By the one man that Oliver knew could follow through on every single one of his threats without even breaking a sweat. 

Thank god for Felicity. His mother was just as much a wreck as he was and it was Felicity that ushered both of them out into the alley where Dig and the car were waiting. She held his hand as they drove over to QC. She called in anyone she could think of to meet there to help in the search for Thea. She understood this needed to be addressed publicly, not privately as the Arrow. She understood all of that and handled it with calm and authority. 

If Oliver hadn’t been going out of his mind, he would have really appreciated it. As it was, he would appreciate it later. When he had his sister back, safe. 

By the time he arrived at QC, the CEO’s office was already buzzing with activity. Staffers from his mother’s campaign as well as QC employees were gathered, taking calls and making calls. Oliver barely registered any of it. Felicity steered him into his office and sat him down at his desk. She even brought him a cup of coffee. Tommy was there too, calling in favors. Roy and Sara came as well, offering whatever support they could. 

Unfortunately, Isabel was there too. Felicity had gone to another room to make sure the newly crafted webpage created to share and gather information about Thea’s whereabouts was working properly. She said something to him, Oliver didn’t even know what. He was drinking the coffee Felicity had brought him and trying not to lose his mind or listen in to his mother giving a statement to the police on the other side of the room. 

“If I hear about one more invasive press inquiry being sent to Mr. Queen or any member of the Queen family, I will hold you personally responsible,” Isabel was growling into her phone. 

Oliver looked up and managed a quavering smile. “Is that the PR department?”

“Yes,” she said, putting her phone back in her pocket. “Hopefully, that will lessen the sensationalists circling around the building right now.”

“Thank you. You’re very scary,” he told her truthfully. 

She smiled and it reminded him of the smile she’d given him in that bar in Russia. Softer, more accommodating. “It’s my job to take things off your plate, now more than ever,” she said. “To that end, I hate to bring this up now of all times, but do you remember how at today’s meeting the board nominated new officers?”

He nodded slowly. “It rings a bell.”

“The voting has to take place within 24 hours. I’m afraid it cannot be suspended, it’s an SEC thing.”

Oliver groaned, passing a hand over his eyes. “Isabel, I can’t think about anything but this right now.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But you have to. You’re the CEO and you have responsibilities—“

“You handle those responsibilities for me all the time,” he pointed out. 

“A board vote is several orders of magnitude different from covering a missed meeting,” Isabel said, a waspish note entering her tone. “You could appoint someone CEO pro tempore to handle it for you.”

“I could appoint you,” Oliver suggested. Isabel’s eyes lit up.

“Wait, what?” 

The outraged voice from the door to his office pulled his attention. Tommy stood there, glaring at Isabel. 

“Mr. Merlyn, it’s lovely to see you, as always. It’s been a while,” Isabel greeted her smoothly. 

“I wish I could say the same.” Tommy strode into the office and straight to his side. “Please tell me you weren’t about to sign over to the company to Isabel Rochev,” he said to him in a low voice. 

When he put it like that… “She was pointing out to me that there’s some important CEO responsibilities right now that I just don’t have in me to focus on like I should.”

“Okay,” Tommy allowed, “but then you talk to your mother about splitting those responsibilities. Or you find the time or heart or brainpower. But Oliver, you do _not_ sign over your family’s company to the woman who’s only goal all year has been to take that company away from you!”

“How dare you!” Isabel hissed at Tommy. 

“How dare _you_?” Everyone’s heads swiveled around to see Felicity marching into the office, her eyes snapping with anger.“You come in here when the Queen family is at their most vulnerable and try to take advantage of them? I should have security escort you from the building.”

Isabel looked appalled and Oliver felt his pride in Felicity swell. He stood up and came to her side. 

“You couldn’t,” Isabel sneered. “I own half this company.”

“Not for long,” Oliver said. “I _will_ force you out, Isabel, one way or another. I can’t believe I almost fell for your tricks tonight but that’s the last time you’ll get the chance.”

She glared at the three of them before huffing and turning on her heel. “Good luck keeping the paparazzi wolves at bay now, Mr. Queen,” she tossed over her shoulder before stalking to the elevators. 

Tommy patted his arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep them away. You just focus on finding Thea.”

“With your help?” he asked Felicity hopefully. 

She nodded. “I might be of better use at the foundry though. I think I’ll head over there.”

“Okay. Take Dig with you? Or Tommy?”

“Are you sure?” She looked around at the crowds and his mother. 

He nodded. “I’m sure. Call me if you find anything.”

“I’ll take Dig,” she said. “Leave Tommy for moral support.” She winked at his best friend and Tommy grinned back at her. 

Felicity pushed up on her toes and kissed him. Oliver returned the kiss, happy to have this one small good moment amidst everything else that was awful. She was sharing her strength with him and he would never be done being grateful for her. 

***

Felicity’s first response when crisis hits is always to go into action mode. It’d been her default reaction ever since she was a young child. When her father left them, Felicity immediately picked up the slack her mother couldn’t, making them sandwiches for dinner, gathering the clothes for the laundry, making sure her mother got to work on time the next morning. When Cooper killed himself in prison, Felicity gave herself a moment to grieve and then she was back in action, making a plan for the rest of her life. Because she would not wallow in that dorm room. She would reinvent herself and become something amazing. 

Life was never going to get the better of her. Ever. 

It felt good, taking action at the debate and steering the shellshocked Queens. As much as she wanted to break down herself and worry for Thea, she knew her skills would be better put to use in finding the young woman, particularly finding out why Slade had taken her. If he’d wanted to kill Thea, she had no doubt he would have done it by now and used that debate to broadcast it. No… he had some other game up his sleeve and she just needed to figure it out. 

Felicity decided she could break down later. Seeing how Oliver was hanging on by a barest thread helped her keep her head on straight. He needed her to be on the ball right now, to help him find his own way through this nightmare. 

Finding Isabel in his office, one heartbeat away from snatching the CEO title away from Oliver, had raised her blood pressure through the roof. Thank God for Tommy. Nothing had felt more satisfying than seeing that witch sent packing with her tail between her legs. Threatening to call security on her felt like long overdue revenge, at least a little. What sheer audacity she’d had to think she could waltz in and steal the company when the Queens were in a panic. Utterly despicable. 

But right now, Felicity’s talents would be best put to use in finding Thea. She knew exactly what to do and where to start looking. She was, after all, a genius. 

As soon as she and Dig arrived at the foundry, Felicity went straight to her computers and bent to the task at hand. Dig called up Sara and asked her to pick up some Big Belly and bring it by the foundry. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t think to feed herself while she was in the zone. That’s why he was the designated big brother. 

Felicity knew the last place Thea had been seen was here at Verdant. She’d spoken to Roy at QC and learned he hadn’t seen her since he’d tried to break up with her the previous afternoon. From there, Felicity checked credit card receipts from Verdant for the night, pinged the cell phones from all those patrons and even hacked into the photos from those phones. She had to look through each photo individually, numbering in the thousands. 

It was a lot. 

But it was _Thea_. 

From there, though, she did find something. Before she even let herself get excited, she called Oliver. 

“Please tell me you found something,” Oliver said. No opening greeting showed just how much strain the poor guy was under. Hopefully, she was going to be able to alleviate some of that with the news she had to share. 

“I did. You should come down here.”

“What do I tell my mother?” he asked. “She’s out of her mind and if I tell her I have to leave, she’s not going to understand.”

Felicity chewed her lip. “Tell her you’re chasing a lead and you’ll let her know as soon as you have anything concrete.”

“That’s pretty much the same thing,” he said. 

“Yes, but it’s also Thea and there’s no time to spare,” she reminded him. 

“Good point. I’ll be right there.”

Felicity hung up and then called in Roy. Sara was already there, having delivered the Big Belly Burger, and was now sparring with Dig on the mats. If her lead was right, Oliver would need the whole team with him. 

True to his word, Oliver came walking in 15 minutes later. “Okay, what have you found?”

“It’s a partial plate, three blocks from the club.” She pointed to the image on her screen. “The car is registered to Slade Wilson and it has GPS.”

“Which I know you can track with your eyes closed so where it is now?”

“Parked outside a closed-down bar on Roosevelt.”

“Okay, doesn’t this seem easy to any of you?” Roy asked. “Slade using a car registered in his name? The whole thing smells rotten.”

“Yes, but it’s our only lead,” Dig said. 

“I bet either Thea is there or he is. Probably not both of them,” Sara said, nodding.

“Either way, we have to go,” Oliver decided. “Suit up, everyone.”

“I figured you would say that,” Felicity said as they all began to scatter. “Which is why I worked up these.”

She tossed an ampule at Oliver who caught it easily out of the air. “Tibetan pit viper venom?” he asked. They’d picked up some from the local zoo when Nyssa had been in town weeks before.

“The League of Assassins’ poison of choice,” Felicity chirped. Sara grinned at her. 

“Nice one, Felicity. This is easily the most powerful sedative that I’ve ever worked with,” Sara said approvingly.

“It’ll give us an advantage, which we need.” Oliver met Roy’s eye. “But you are going to give us another.”

“Are you sure you want me to go?” Roy asked.

“Are you angry that he took Thea?” Oliver asked. Roy nodded shortly. “Use that rage.”

“You’re always telling me to hold back, to control it.”

Oliver shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“Let’s go take care of this asshole.” Dig clapped Roy on the back. 

Felicity smiled after all of them as they went to change quickly. She loved when the team came together to work on a common goal. It’s when she really felt they were reaching their purpose. 

Five minutes later, they were walking out the alley entrance to pile into the Arrow van. Oliver hated that she called it the Arrow van, but the term stuck. As they left, she did as she’d promised Oliver she would before he left; she texted Tommy and asked him to come wait with her down in the foundry. It was lucky that it was a slow night at Verdant. 

“Hey Smoak, any luck finding Thea?” he asked as he settled into the chair next to hers. 

Felicity realized right then that they’d forgotten Tommy in the whole mess. He still didn’t know that Thea was his sister. She knew it wasn’t her place to tell him, but with Thea currently taken by Slade, he probably needed to know. Soon. She’d have to talk to Oliver about that later. 

“We have a lead. They’re out there chasing it down right now. Keep your fingers crossed.”

“Fingers and toes are both crossed,” Tommy told her. “If anyone can bring home Thea, it’s you.”

“Flatterer.”

Tommy watched with interest as Felicity connected with the team, organizing each of their comm mics with their tracking beacon on the wireframe map on her screen. He kept quiet while she worked, which she was glad for, so she could focus on what was happening. 

She had a bad feeling, as she watched the team enter the defunct bar. Something wasn’t right here but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She warned them to be careful, be on the lookout. 

They found Slade in the middle of the building, sitting in a chair, calmly waiting for them. He was alone. Felicity listened in as Oliver stalked up to him. 

“Where is she, Slade?” he roared, his anger palpable. 

Felicity heard only a dry chuckle in response. 

“The man asked you a question,” Roy growled. “Where is she?”

“What are you going to do, boy?” Slade drawled. “Kill me? But then who would tell you where your beloved Thea is?”

Felicity listened as Oliver fired an arrow, packed full of venom, into Slade’s chest. 

“Call Detective Lance,” Oliver said over the comm. “He needs to come arrest Slade Wilson.”

“Good idea,” Dig said a moment later. “Let the law get out of him where Thea is. He can’t run now.”

“Are you kidding me? We need to find out where Thea is, this is the only man who can tell us and you want to hand him over to the cops?” Roy cried, outraged. 

“We’re following procedure, Roy,” Oliver insisted. “We need to shut Slade down and this is the best way to do it.”

Somehow, Felicity still had a very bad feeling. Why did it feel like they’d just walked directly into a trap?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the search for Thea drags on, Oliver and the rest of the team start to lose their patience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Friday, another update! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, enjoy more of the little changes I've made to s2 canon and that you all have great weekends. Once again, a big thanks to my beta @the-silverforked-sky. She knows this story as well as I do and it makes her suggestions and working on it with her such a joy!

The news that Slade was released from SCPD custody came as a blow to the entire team. They tried to track him but Slade was expecting them and evaded their pursuit easily. That hurt almost as much as Slade being released; to know he’d slipped by them just as easily as walking past them in a crowd. Reactions ranged from the mild to the extreme. Roy was mostly confused, wanting to know how the SCPD could release Slade when it was apparent what he’d done. Felicity was surprised but mostly pragmatic about it, and so were Diggle and Tommy. They’d been sure the case was cut and dry but understood the loophole that Slade had wormed his way through. Sara wasn’t surprised at all; she’d seen this song and dance many times before and not just as the daughter of a police officer growing up. 

Oliver, however, was enraged. 

The team stood back as he shouted his frustration and upended the table where he crafted new arrows, sending the contents clattering the foundry floor. He’d paced like a caged tiger, his expression mutinous. 

Felicity tried to go to him, to calm him down, but Dig stopped her with a hand on her arm. She didn’t think Oliver would hurt her in his rage though, and it was hard to see him losing it like this. 

“Ollie, its pretty clear that Slade planned this all along. It’s very typical behavior from him,” Sara said, her arms crossed as she watched Oliver stalk and seethe. Her tone and her gaze on him was sharp and reprimanding. “You know Slade just as well as I do, better even, you know what he’s capable of. You know he’d never just let us catch him.”

“Didn’t I say something about this being too easy?” Roy pointed out. 

“Yeah, you did,” Felicity agreed. Dig nodded. 

“But we had to try,” Sara offered. 

“I had a feeling it could be a trap,” Felicity agreed. “But I hoped that it would lead to Thea being found.”

“Well, it didn’t,” Oliver snapped irritably. “And my sister is still out there, in the clutches of a man who wants to use her to hurt me.”

“Don’t snap at me,” she returned, feeling her own irritation swell. “I want to find her too. I’m still looking.”

“But maybe you shouldn’t,” Oliver told her, changing tacks. “Listen, I know you want to help but I just feel like you’d be better off if you went—“

Felicity held up a finger. “If you say, ‘to see your mother for a few weeks’ again, I swear, Oliver Queen, I will drain your retirement account. We’ve been over this!”

“I know, and I still think you should go,” he insisted. “Some awkward family moments are nothing compared to being slaughtered by a mad man!”

“I told you, I’m not going anywhere. I want to help you find Thea. I want to help you guys take down Slade!”

“Maybe we don’t need your help,” Oliver replied. 

Felicity felt like she’d been slapped. Oliver had never doubted her skills before. She knew he was stressed, but there was no excuse for what he’d just said. 

“That is low, Oliver,” she said, not keeping the hurt out of her voice.

“Yeah, I’m with Felicity on this one,” Sara said. “People on this team other than you also count on her to have our backs.”

“Stay out of this, Sara,” Oliver growled at her. 

“Oliver, why don’t you take a breath before you say something you’ll regret,” Dig suggested. 

“Too late,” Felicity muttered, still feeling the sting of his words. 

“I think Oliver is right,” Tommy said and everyone swiveled around to look at him. “I think Felicity should think about leaving town for now.”

“Tommy?” Felicity felt betrayed. 

He came up to her. “Listen, I don’t want you to be hurt. It’s not a question of if Slade will target you, it’s a question of when. He’s gone after Thea, he’ll go after Moira… you’re on that list.”

“Do you think my leaving town could possibly stop Slade from taking me? He’s got resources we’ve never considered and all it would take is a quick flight and he’d be right there, but I would be alone. And with my mother. I will not put her in danger just because you’re scared. Plus, I don’t want to be the sort that runs. I can help here,” she insisted, meeting Oliver’s eye sternly. “You know that you guys need me here. And it’s my life, my choice. Remember?”

“Felicity, I’m worried…” Tommy looked torn. 

“I appreciate your concern, I really do. But please, you can’t lock me away. None of you can.”

Oliver’s shoulder’s slumped. “I’m sorry, Felicity,” he said. 

As much as she appreciated the apology in front of the whole team, she needed a moment to speak with him. “Can I talk to you in private really quick?” she asked. 

He looked a little hesitant to agree but after he nodded, Felicity let him out the alley door so they could talk there. 

“Oliver, you have to stop trying to push me away to keep me safe,” she said, rounding on him as soon as the door closed. 

“Felicity, I’m sorry. I was out of line. But I’m just—It’s so frustrating! We had him and now he’s out and Lance is in trouble for helping us and my sister is still missing!”

She put her hands on his arms. “I understand. I get that. I know this is hard. But pushing me away isn’t going to fix anything.”

He sighed. “I know. I’m not used to this, Felicity. I’m not used to having someone to care about and who cares about me while dealing with all of this.”

“I know that and I think I’m being pretty patient with you,” she teased. “But please don’t do it again. Because next time I might just take you up on it and if I go, I’m not coming back.”

Oliver looked stricken at that. She took pity on him and hugged him. 

“But you won’t do that, will you?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Good. Now, how did the meeting with Slade go? I know you talked to him while he was still in police custody.”

Oliver sighed. “He was so calm. Too calm. In retrospect, it makes sense. He knew the charges wouldn’t stick. I asked him how he got off the island. I knew he wouldn’t tell me where to find Thea, so that was the next thing I wanted to know. He said he swam.”

“Swam?” Felicity’s mind reeled. Lian Yu was hell and gone from anywhere remotely civilized and the sea was rough. 

Oliver winced a little. “Yeah, he laid out in precise detail just how the journey ripped him up. But the mirakuru regenerated him. All but the eye that I plunged the arrow into, that is.”

“Frack… Oliver…”

“I asked him why he was doing this. I know the whole vengeance thing but I really couldn’t believe that was his _only_ motive. It was so long ago. But he made it clear that it wasn’t that long ago to him. He tried to move on but he can’t because thoughts of Shado eat him up. I begged him, Felicity.”

“Oh…” She put a hand on his arm, devastated by his lost expression. 

“I begged him to let Thea go and punish me instead. But he won’t do it. I tried to appeal to him emotionally but… we were interrupted. And he was let go.”

“Oliver… I don’t know what to say…” She could feel the tears welling in her own eyes. 

“I should never have questioned your skills or value to the team. You know I don’t believe that,” he said, looking genuinely apologetic. 

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I didn’t want to think you would do that just to hurt me.”

“It was a low blow, you were right.”

“I love being right,” she murmured. She kissed him then, a sweet, brief kiss. He was frustrated, she knew, but they needed to stick together through this, not tear each other apart. Speaking of…

“Before you go back in,” she told him as she drew back. “Tommy needs to know he’s Thea’s brother.”

Oliver winced. “Yeah, I actually had that thought earlier.”

“Good.” She patted his arm. “I love it when we’re on the same page.”

***

Oliver walked back into the foundry feeling more in control than he had after Slade’s release. Venting his anger at Felicity had been the worst possible decision he could have made, even as he said the words, they felt so wrong. Seeing her hurt had made him feel like the world’s biggest prick. He was scared, but she didn’t deserve to bear the brunt of his fear. 

He felt better now that they’d smoothed things out. And she was right, he needed to talk to Tommy. 

“Tommy? Can we talk?” he asked. 

Tommy looked surprised. “Uh oh. Am I in the dog house too?”

Felicity rolled her eyes and went back to her computers to continue running facial recognition, looking for any sign of his sister. He really was lucky to have her on the team. Her expertise saved their lives on a daily basis and he should never have called that into question. He was just lucky that Felicity was as forgiving as she was. 

“Not the dog house. Just thought maybe we could get a drink upstairs.”

“Sure.”

Oliver followed Tommy up the stairs into the club, which was still full of patrons. The night was relatively young and the party was just getting started. Tommy grabbed them each a drink at the bar and lead Oliver to the VIP section where there was a booth tucked away and the music was mostly muted. 

“Need to blow off steam?” Tommy asked sipping at his whiskey. 

“I could surely use it, but that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”

“Ah ha! So I _am_ in trouble! I knew it,” his friend said. “Listen, if it’s about agreeing with you about Felicity… I can see her side, I see why she wants to stay. But I’m going to worry about her too.”

“I know you will. You’re a good friend, to her and to me. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” Oliver took a drink from his scotch, savoring the burn in his throat. 

“Okay… are you going to tell me?” Tommy asked, looking a little nervous. 

Oliver finished his drink and blew out a breath. How did he do this and blow a hole in Tommy’s life? Then again, the hole was blown in his life and he was able to weather it. Maybe he should trust that Tommy could handle it too. Maybe this was what Felicity was talking about. 

“We learned something recently, about my mother, about your father… about Thea.”

Tommy looked confused. “Wait… Is this about Moira and Malcolm’s affair? Because we already heard all those dirty little details in court.” He shuddered for effect. 

“Sort of.” Oliver knew he needed to just bite the bullet and say it. “We discovered recently… Felicity discovered actually, that Thea is Malcolm’s daughter.”

Tommy had his glass of whiskey lifted halfway to his mouth. He stopped, his mouth hanging open, staring at Oliver. “Say what?”

“Thea is your sister, Tommy.”

Tommy set his glass down carefully. He was quiet for a long moment, studying the table in front of him. Finally, he looked up and lifted one side of his mouth in a wry grin that didn’t meet his eyes. “You know, a lot of things just became clear.”

Oliver huffed. “Like what?”

“Since I’ve known her, I’ve pretty much treated her like she was my own sister. The whole time you were gone, I watched over her, felt protective, and I just told myself I was doing it for you. I might have made jokes about how hot she was getting but all I felt was protectiveness. And now it makes sense.”

“Yeah it does,” Oliver agreed. “And now you are officially part of my family.”

Tommy eyes glittered suspiciously as he ducked his head. A smile was on his face, this time it was a real one. Oliver knew that’s all his best friend had ever wanted. 

“And now she’s been taken,” he said with dawning realization. 

“Yes. But we’re going to get her back. I’m not going to rest, Tommy.”

“Does she know? That— about—?”

Oliver nodded. “I told her just before she was taken, actually.”

“Okay. Okay, good. Well… go get our sister, Ollie, and bring her home. Because I have a big hug I want to give her.”

“Will do, buddy.”

***

When Oliver returned to the foundry he found Roy holding a knife to Diggle’s neck. Sara was standing with his bow drawn, an arrow pointed right at Roy’s heart. Felicity was standing to the side, hands up, trying to speak calmly and get them to see reason. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Oliver demanded. Roy had been _fine_ when Oliver went upstairs.

“It’s your fault!” Roy roared. “If you had let me kill that son of a bitch instead of turning him over to the police—“

“If I had let you do that, we might never find Thea. We have no idea where she is being held, Roy.”

“I don’t like that we all have to fall in line with what _you_ want to do,” Roy argued. “You said turning him over to the SCPD was the right thing to do, instead of questioning him ourselves. Just like you told me to break up with Thea. When are you going to see, your ideas are _shit_!”

“Roy—“ Sara growled, nocking the arrow tighter. 

Oliver held up a hand to stave her off. “All right. Can we just take a breath here? We can talk this out. Let Dig go.”

Roy looked down to Dig who he still held at knifepoint and dropped the knife, releasing him. It was as though he’d forgotten he still had him held there. The boy narrowed his eyes at Oliver. 

“If it wasn’t for you telling me to break up with Thea, I would have been with her when she was taken. I could have stopped him.”

“You’re right.”

Dig, Felicity and Sara all whipped their heads around to look at him, their expressions of shock almost comical. “Wait, what?” Dig asked. 

“I was wrong to ask you to break up with Thea,” Oliver admitted. He saw Felicity watching him and nodded at her. “It’s important we stay together, not push each other away.”

Roy blinked and it looked like all the fight went out of him. “Seriously?”

Oliver nodded. “I talked to her, you know. I was the last one to see her before she was taken. She was upset that you’d tried to break up with her but she didn’t accept that. As far as she’s concerned, you two are still very much on.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And when we find her, I bet she’s going to want you there, Roy, by her side. And we _will_ find her.”

“Okay,” Roy said, nodding. 

“So… are we good?” Oliver asked. “No more threatening fellow teammates?”

Roy blushed at that. “I’m sorry, man,” he said to Dig. “I don’t know what came over me. I was just… the _rage_ …” 

Oliver nodded. “It’s the mirakuru. We’ll fight it Roy. I have some ideas. But for now, I think the team has earned the rest of the night off.”

Everyone started to disperse and Felicity grabbed his arm. “Not so fast, Mr. Peacemaker,” she said. “That was good of you by the way, I’m so proud of you.”

He leaned down to peck her lips. “You inspired me.”

“I do that now and then,” she agreed. “Now, you’re not off to the hook for tonight. Because Isabel is holding a meeting _right now_ with the board, trying to gain control of QC by forcing the vote right now. I got an alert on my tablet for the meeting just a moment ago. I _may_ be snooping on QC interoffice memos, at least while you’re distracted by this business with Slade and Thea.”

“Seriously? She’s moving this fast?” Oliver was already moving towards the exit. Felicity followed him. 

“She knows that it’s now or never for getting control of QC. I’m coming with you, by the way. I think it’s time we let her know what we know.”

“Good. I think I’ll need your business acumen, too.”

“Darn right.”

***

Nothing gave Felicity more satisfaction than the look on Isabel’s face when she and Oliver strode into the board room right as Isabel was calling the meeting to order. He announced he was there to preside over the vote and gave Isabel a very knowing look. She looked absolutely furious. Felicity was taking part in this meeting because, as it turned out, it was _her_ business too. 

One of the things being voted on was whether to make Oliver’s position as sole CEO of Queen Consolidated permanent pending a successful merger with Merlyn Global, meaning that Stellmoor International no longer had any stake in the company. This was one of the big projects Felicity had been helping put together over the last few weeks and keeping it a secret paid off when Isabel looked like she might like to commit murder right there in the boardroom. 

Once the meeting was over and the board members were dismissed, Isabel laid into Oliver. Felicity hurried to his side to back him up. Oliver could call security but she felt he needed this moment, he needed to fully exorcise this woman from his family’s company and his professional life. It didn’t take too long to get the woman backed into a corner, which made her lash out.

“You are every bit the entitled brat that Slade told me you were!” Isabel seethed. 

Oliver’s eyebrows shot up. “Have you been working with him?”

“Why am I not more surprised by that?” Felicity asked. “I feel like we should be more surprised about that.”

“I mean, I did figure out that you’d had an affair with my father years ago,” Oliver said and he smiled down at Felicity, “Thanks for digging that old news up for me, by the way.”

“Not a problem, honey.”

“Slade knew that planting me in your family’s business would draw you back to Starling,” Isabel said, clearly trying and failing to hide her outrage over them learning her big secret. “It was supposed to be easy; taking control from a screw up playboy who’s more interested in running around the town in a costume all night than he is running a company.”

“She knows about the Arrow too,” Oliver told Felicity, raising an eyebrow. She hummed. 

“Did not see that coming,” she replied in a way that made it clear she most certainly had. 

Felicity did not think it was possible for Isabel to look more outraged but somehow she managed. “Slade is not done with you!” she screamed. 

“I know he’s not. But we’re ready for him,” Oliver told her, his voice hard. “And if you ever come for me or my family or my friends or my _company_ again, I will kill you.”

“And, apparently, you know he can make good on that promise,” Felicity added. 

“Now, are you going to tell me where I can find my sister? Or am I going to have to get rough?” Oliver asked Isabel. 

“You wouldn’t dare hurt a woman,” Isabel sneered. 

Oliver moved fast. In the blink of an eye, he had Isabel in a chokehold, pressed up against the wall of the boardroom. Isabel gasped and clawed at his arm which was solid across her windpipe. “You are going to tell me where she is or I’m going to kill you. Slowly.”

“Okay…” It was a wheeze. He lifted his arm but kept her held against the wall. “He’s holding her at a storage depot just outside the city limits. It’s called Tosca Cartage.”

“How do we know you’re not lying?” he sneered. 

Isabel chuckled weakly at that and he slammed her back against the wall again, knocking her head into the plaster. “It’s cute how you think this isn’t all playing out exactly how he wants it to.”

She slid her glazed eyes to Felicity. “And no team. He wants you to come alone. If he even smells your partners, he will gut sweet little Thea like a trout.”

Oliver released her and stepped back, the disgust on his face apparent. “Get out of my building before I have security haul you out.”

Felicity rather hoped Isabel would opt for the latter scenario. And if the building surveillance tapes of the incident happened to make an appearance on YouTube, well, clearly she accidentally hit the wrong button. She was disappointed when Isabel relented.

“Fine. But you’ll see. Slade is only just beginning what he has planned for you.”

“We’re ready for him,” Felicity promised. 

Isabel’s smile was sickeningly sweet as she walked away. “Again, it’s cute that you think so.”

***

The team wanted badly to come with him, even just to wait outside and hold the perimeter. But Oliver was done trying to outthink this man. He just wanted his sister back. He saw the worried look in Felicity’s eye when he’d left the foundry, had kissed her long and fiercely, promising her he would come back to her. She’d known that he may not be able to keep that promise. 

But she also knew that he would do anything for his sister. 

There were a lot of Slade’s goons to fight as soon as he got there. But once he dispatched them, there was no one. Not even a sound. He’d carefully picked through the depot, his bow drawn, an arrow at the ready. But the place felt… empty. 

That suspicion was confirmed when he reached a room where a chair sat, a spotlight shone upon it. It was the same chair Thea had been tied to during that live video shown at the debate. But there was no sign of her, only some discarded hand ties and a gag. No sign of Slade either… though Oliver felt like he was just waiting for him to pop up out of the shadows in that creepy armor of his. 

But… nothing. 

“Oliver, are you okay?” Felicity’s voice over the comm in his ear was just what he needed to hear right then. He relaxed a little. 

“I’m fine but…” Thea wasn’t here and the disappointment of that was crushing.

“You did it!” she cried, sounding happy. He was confused. 

“Did what?”

“Thea’s fine. She’s okay, she walked into the precinct five minutes ago, safe and sound.”

Oliver stumbled a little as he put the arrow back in his quiver and lowered his bow. “What?”

“Oliver, did you hear me? She’s fine. No injuries. Slade didn’t touch a hair on her head.”

The relief he felt was palpable but it was strange mixed in with the utter confusion of why Slade would have him come here. “But… why wasn’t he here? Why did he have me come here? There were men, hired guns and lots of them, but not him.”

There was a pause over the comms and Oliver knew that Felicity was looking up any news alerts. “Ah, I think I know why,” she said a moment later. 

“Tell me.”

“He was busy elsewhere. Iron Heights reopened a wing damaged in the quake and there was a prisoner transfer tonight. Slade hijacked it. At least, I think that’s Slade. The police chatter is about some nutter wearing armor, shot up the guards and took the prisoners.”

“Shit,” Oliver muttered. “Soldiers for his army. Abducting Thea was just a diversion, something to put me off my game. He wanted to keep me busy so he sent me here. Dammit!” He kicked over the chair, almost enjoying the loud clatter it made. 

“I’ll meet you at the precinct, okay? Your mother is already there.” Felicity said. 

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Oliver said before disconnecting his comms. 

He cursed himself all the way to his Ducati which he’d parked around the side of the depot. There was a change of clothes, a pair of jeans and a henley, that he stashed there for quick changes. The bow he’d have to drop off in Felicity’s car when he got to the station. 

He saw Felicity’s Mini when he pulled into the lot at the precinct and stashed his bow and gear in her back seat. Then he headed inside. The officer on desk took one look at him and waved him towards the back. Once there, he was sent into one of the empty interrogation rooms.

He saw Thea being embraced by Moira and some of the weight lifted from his shoulders. Felicity stood next to them, watching them with a smile. She looked over at him when he entered and her smile grew bigger. 

“My baby… Oh! My baby!” his mother kept chanting. 

Thea was wrapped in a blanket but otherwise looked okay. She pushed back from Moira and saw Oliver and launched herself at him. He caught her easily and held her close. As much as he was reeling from all of Slade’s machinations, right now he had his family back in one piece and it felt amazing. 

“He—He just let you go?” Moira asked, sounding so confused. 

Thea let go of Oliver and stepped back. She nodded. “Yes. He told me that Malcolm was my father and then just let me walk out. He thought it was a surprise so I acted like it was.”

Oliver’s heart swelled with pride. If Slade had realized that his big “bomb” was already known, he might have kept her. 

“That was great thinking, Thea,” Felicity said, echoing his thoughts. 

“But I still don’t understand how Slade Wilson could do this,” his mother said. “He was a friend to us, he donated to my campaign. He’s a businessman! Why would he target Thea like that and then just let her go?”

Oliver sighed. “Can we all sit for a second? I have to tell you something.”

Felicity reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Her support was comforting. Everyone took a seat around the table in the center of the room. Thea was curled in on herself, pulling the blanket tight around her. She looked exhausted and Oliver knew she needed to get home and get to sleep. 

“When I was on the island,” he began, “I met Slade Wilson. We knew each other there. He helped me survive my first year, in fact.”

His mother blinked and Thea’s brow furrowed. “Wait… how? He was there? I thought you said you were alone on the island.”

“I wasn’t. I… lied. I’m sorry, but… things on that island were terrible. And I really had no interest in reliving it when I returned home,” he explained. 

“So if you knew Slade, what made him want to kidnap me?” Thea wanted to know. 

“I did something that made him angry. I want you both to understand, Slade is damaged. He’s dangerous. He’s obsessed with his anger against me and he wants to use all of you to hurt me,” he said, stumbling over his words. How did he explain that Slade had this super strength and how he blamed Oliver for the death of his greatest love? 

“Why didn’t you tell us that when Slade came to the house?” Thea wanted to know. 

“I thought he was dead,” Oliver admitted. “Seeing him there, alive, really shook me. I didn’t know what to do. He made it clear he was still angry with me.”

“If you had told us, we could have taken precautions,” his mother said. 

“If you’d told us, I would never have gotten into his car when he offered me a ride,” Thea said. “Why is your first instinct to keep the truth from us?”

“I— I wanted to keep you safe. I just didn’t know how to deal with it,” he said. 

It was clear that his mother and sister were done hearing him for the night. He’d dropped a bomb on them and they were reeling. He had to remind himself that they had that right. 

“I’m going to take Thea home now,” his mother said, getting to her feet. She helped Thea stand up too and started to guide her towards the door. “We’ll see you at the house tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a request, Oliver could see that much. 

“Okay,” he replied. 

He watched, helplessly, as they walked out of the room, leaving him and Felicity alone. He turned to her. “Did I do the right thing in telling them?”

Felicity nodded. “I’ve told you, Oliver. Keeping secrets pushes people away.”

“But you saw them just now, right? At best, they’re angry at me.”

“So let them be angry,” she said gently. “They’re allowed to be upset that you kept this from them. Thea is right. If she’d known Slade was a danger, she never would have gotten in that car.”

The truth of that statement washed over him and he could feel the weight he’d thought that had been lifted from his shoulders re-settle there. But then he felt Felicity rubbing his back with her hand. 

“Don’t let the guilt bury you, Oliver. What’s done is done. You recognized that you should tell them the truth about this _now_. That’s what matters. Focus on that. And on not keeping things like this from them in the future. Your family will get past this, they will forgive you. You did the right thing tonight.”

“Did I? I don’t want her mad at me. I just got her back…” 

“Yes, and you have her back. Oliver, that’s worth celebrating. We’ll go over to the mansion tomorrow and you can talk with her,” Felicity suggested. 

“What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?” he asked. 

“She will. You’re her brother,” Felicity insisted. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll talk to her first. Soften her up for you.”

“You’d do that?”

“For you? Anything.” Felicity smiled. He was so lucky to have her. 

“You’re not still mad at me about the whole Vegas thing?” It wasn’t a finer moment for him, but the last day had been especially stressful. Being stressed didn’t excuse what he’d said, he knew that. It bothered him more than a little that he could say something like that to her when he was angry or frustrated. It was something he was going to have to be very careful of in the future.

“I’m a little mad,” she admitted. “You said some things that really upset me.”

Oliver’s smile faded. The prospect of having to make things up to multiple women in his life loomed large. “Felicity, I am _so_ sorry.”

She patted his cheek. “I know you are. And I’m going to give you a chance to make it up to me.”

“You are?”

She stood up and buttoned her coat up. Then she held out a hand towards him, wiggling her fingers. “Yep. We’re going to go to your new apartment tonight and you are going show me just how sorry you are.”

Oliver stood up and took her hand. “I can be pretty persuasive,” he told her. 

“I know. I’m looking forward to the many ways you’ll convince me.”

“Many ways, huh?” He grinned now. 

“Oh yes. I plan to keep you busy for a long time tonight, mister.”

She started towards the door of the room and he followed her happily. “Yes, ma’am.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver does his best to mend his damaged relationship with Thea, this time, by following Felicity's advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I hope you all had good weekends. It was WET here. It's never good to get rain in January where I live, even worse when its in the mountains as well. Lots of melting snow, lots of water, lots of flooded streets! But I'm unscathed and here to bring you guys the next chapter. We're really starting to get into the final action here. BIG thanks for the best beta in the world, @the-silverforked-sky. She keeps this fic running smoothly and catches all my "lead"s that are supposed to be "led"s. :)

The next morning, Oliver and Felicity drove to the Queen mansion. They took Felicity’s Mini, which Oliver hated, but he was appeased slightly when she allowed him to drive. He begged her yet again to consider getting a different car, possibly the fifth or tenth time he’d done so since they’d started dating. Felicity remained stubborn on that; she loved her car and besides, she didn’t want to give in on this too easy. She was practicing resisting Oliver’s puppy eyes, because she couldn’t give into him all the time. It was too easy for that man to get his way with her, given how how well he could distract her.

Oliver hesitated on the walkway outside the imposing castle-like structure and Felicity rubbed a hand over his back. “Come on. Think of it like ripping off a bandaid.”

She took his hand and led him up to the door. She raised her hand to knock but Oliver reached around her and pushed the door open. “We can just go on in,” he told her. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

Felicity shot him a look, though inside she was pleased. If he was feeling up to teasing her then he probably wasn’t brooding too much. The quality and quantity of the sex they’d had after getting back to his place from the police station the night before must have helped him relax some. 

It had helped _her_ too, but that wasn’t the point. 

Felicity shoved those thoughts from her mind because while she and Oliver’s mother were on fairly neutral terms now, she did not feel it was a good idea to daydream and end up accidentally blurting out how her son fucked her with his tongue last night, while she was in the woman’s house. 

Speaking of the devil—err—woman… she was in the foyer to greet them when they stepped inside. 

“Oliver, Felicity. So glad to see you this morning. Are you staying for brunch?” she asked, rushing forward and clasping Felicity’s hands while beaming at Oliver. Moira’s appearance was a complete 180 from how she’d looked at the precinct last night. Last night she’d been drawn and pale, her hair down and loose and tangled from running her fingers through it multiple times. Her makeup had been worn off and cried off and there’d been bags under her eyes. Now? She was as put together as she ever was and it was like last night had never happened. 

“That depends. I was hoping to speak to Thea,” Oliver told her. 

Moira winced delicately. “She’s up in her room. She won’t talk to me and I doubt she’s going to want to talk to you, not with the way she was feeling after you told us about Mr. Wilson last night.”

Oliver looked crushed and Felicity put her hand on his arm. “Can I try?” she asked. 

He looked down at her searchingly. “Are you sure? She’s probably not going to be very happy, with me or anyone associated with me.”

“I’m sure,” Felicity said. 

“It’s worth a try,” Moira said with a shrug. “If you can get her to agree to brunch, I’ll be in your debt.” 

That was pretty tempting. But she was doing this for Oliver. And a bit for Thea too. The two of them needed each other. 

“Do you want me to walk you up there,” Oliver asked. 

Felicity shook her head. “Go have some coffee with your mom. I’ll find you in a bit.”

He pecked at her lips and gave her hand a squeeze before walking off with his mother. 

Felicity ascended the staircase and headed towards Thea’s room. She hoped Oliver’s sister would be willing to listen to her. She knocked on the tall wooden door to her room and held her breath, waiting and hoping for a response. 

“For the third time, I don’t want any brunch,” came the answer after a moment. 

Felicity blew out the breath she’d been holding. “I just want to talk with you, if you’ll let me.”

A pause. “Who is it?”

“Felicity.”

The pause was even longer this time. Felicity shifted from foot to foot uneasily. Then, the door swung open. Thea stood on the other side, wrapped in a robe, her hair hanging around her shoulders, her eyes shadowed. There was no smile on her face. She stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. 

Felicity walked in and Thea shut the door behind her. “I wasn’t expecting you. I was expecting my mom again, or maybe Oliver.”

“Would you have opened the door for them?” Felicity asked. 

Thea gestured over to the sofa that sat near the fireplace in her room. Felicity sat down and Thea sank down next to her, tucking her feet underneath her. 

“Nope,” she answered. 

“Well, that’s why it was me and not them,” Felicity replied. 

“So what are you going to tell me that they wouldn’t?” Thea wanted to know. 

She thought for a minute. The thing was, she and Thea were more alike than they seemed. Felicity hated to be lied to by those close to her, those whom she trusted to tell her the truth. She didn’t like others trying to manage her life or decisions either, but that was because she also gave those things freely to people close to her. Her arguments with Oliver over the past week or so had surely brought that up. She understood exactly how Thea felt, however, Felicity didn’t know her that well yet, and from what Oliver had told her and her impressions, she thought that the younger woman didn’t quite embody that virtue yet. 

“I’m going to tell you that you _should_ be angry with Oliver for keeping what he knows about Slade from you and your mother.”

Thea’s mouth fell open. “Wait, what?”

“You’re upset that Oliver keeping his past with Slade a secret is the reason you were kidnapped, right?”

She nodded. “Yes. If he’d just told us, then I never would have gotten in Slade’s car.”

“I get that, and that’s a valid reason,” Felicity said. “I’m not too happy with your brother right now either.”

“You’re not? Why? Did he lie to you too?”

“No, but he tried to push me away and he acted like a big jerk about it too.”

“That’s what Roy did,” Thea said quietly. 

Felicity bit her lip. It wasn’t her place to tell Thea why Roy did the same thing.That was between her and Roy and Oliver. 

“I don’t like being handled like that. I’m my own person and I make my own choices.” She paused and looked at Thea, saw the other woman looking at her thoughtfully. “I suspect you’re a bit the same?”

Thea nodded. “I don’t like that my mother and brother like to make decisions about my life based n what they think is best for me. I hate how they keep things from me, to ‘protect’ me.”

“And I don’t blame you one bit. That can get frustrating as hell.”

“It does,” Thea agreed. 

“But here’s the thing—“

“Here it comes,” Thea said, rolling her eyes. But she was smiling, so Felicity continued. 

“I think you should hear him out,” Felicity finished. 

“Why, because he’s my brother?” Thea asked with a scoff. 

“Partly. But also because he deserves a chance, all he wants is for you to be happy and unhurt. I agree that not telling you was a bad move. And his only defense in this case is a misguided belief that keeping it from you was keeping you safe.”

Thea hummed. “Even though telling me would have kept me safe?”

“Even though. Plus… We can’t know if it would have. What if you’d run when Slade approached you for a ride? Do you think he would have let you go?”

“Actually… I did jump out of the car once I realized he wasn’t taking me home. But then this guy in this weird, scary armor cornered me in an alley. And then I learned it was Slade in that costume.”

“Oliver didn’t think Slade would so openly attack his family. He believed the less you knew, the safer you would be.”

“You have told him that’s a stupid thing to believe, right?”

Felicity grinned. “What do you think?”

Thea grinned back. “I’m glad you’re around to talk sense into my brother, Felicity.”

“I’m just glad I can help. I know you’ve had a hard couple of days and I understand you being upset. Take as much time as you need to. I just wanted you to know that your brother loves you very much. So just give him a chance.”

The younger woman nodded thoughtfully. “I will. I need a day or so, I think. But I’ll talk to him. I promise.”

There was a knock right then at the bedroom door. They exchanged a look before Thea called out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Roy.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows at Thea. “Sounds like someone’s come to grovel a bit.”

“It sure does,” she replied, looking a little unsure. 

“Are you going to hear him out?” 

She put a finger to her lips. “Do you think I should?”

Felicity shrugged. “I mean, he is kinda cute.”

“Yeah… that jawline,” Thea said breathily. 

“Those eyebrows!”

They both laughed. Then, Thea calmed herself enough to call out, “Hold on a second!”

Felicity got up and smoothed her skirt. “I’ll leave you two to it,” she said. “Think about what I said.”

“I promise I will.”

She had her hand on the doorknob when Thea called out, “Thank you for giving my brother a chance. He can be a blockhead sometimes but… he loves you.”

Felicity smiled. “Yes. Yes, he does.”

***

Oliver was sitting in the foundry, sharpening some new arrows, when his phone buzzed with a text message. Oliver set aside the arrow and grabbed his phone up. He felt his heart leap when he saw the text was from his sister. 

 

**_Are you available? I was thinking we could talk. - TQ_ **

 

It’d been hard to sit back and give Thea space, but Felicity had assured him it was the best thing to do. Somehow, it was even harder than having to give Tommy space last fall, because this time he was also carrying the guilt of hurting his sibling and potentially ruining their relationship all at the same time. With that in mind, he had left her a few texts letting her know he was thinking about her. 

 

**_I am. Want to meet at Verdant? - OQ_ **

 

He had an idea. Something Felicity had said to him kept replaying in his mind. About how he needed to let people in and not be afraid to share his secrets in order to keep them close. Thea had said something like that to him just after he’d come back home, urging him to let someone in. He did wonder and worry that not letting Thea in could mean losing her and he couldn’t bear that. 

Maybe now was the time to let all his secrets go, once and for all. 

Thea replied right away that meeting at Verdant was a great idea. Oliver cleaned up and headed upstairs to meet her when she arrived. The club was closed; it was before noon. Tommy wouldn’t be around for hours yet. In fact, Oliver was rather surprised Thea was up and around. But then, she probably hadn’t come into the club last night. No, of course she hadn’t. 

“Are you actually drinking our terrible coffee?” 

He swiveled the barstool around to face his sister who was letting herself in through the front doors. She crossed the empty dance floor to him, a drink carrier in her hand. 

“It’s not _that_ bad,” he said. 

“Yes, it is,” she replied, stepping up to the bar and plucking the half-drained mug out of his hand and putting it to the side. She reached into her drink carrier and pulled out one of the to-go cups. She handed it to him with a flourish. 

“One large coffee, two shots of espresso. No sugar, no cream. No fun, too,” she said.

“You didn’t have to get me coffee,” he said, accepting the beverage gratefully. The club’s coffee really _was_ pretty terrible. 

Thea shrugged casually. “I was in there getting my own caramel mocha with an extra pump of chocolate; I figure I’ll need it to have this conversation. It was no trouble.”

He eyed her coffee, whipped cream and sprinkles and all, with disdain. “You’re going to get diabetes if you keep drinking those things.”

“Is that what you tell Felicity? I know her coffee order too.” Thea sat on the stool next to his. 

“Yes, and just like you, she doesn’t listen. Figures that the most important women in my life never listen to me,” he grumbled. 

Thea smiled. “We listen. We just do what we want to do in the end.”

He took a drink of his coffee.Ooh, yes. That was _much_ better than the club coffee. “Listen, Thea, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you and mom about Slade Wilson. I never expected him to kidnap you. I really thought I could deal with him on my own.”

“I’m not happy you kept it from us,” she told him. “But I understand a little better now why you didn’t tell us.”

“Oh? A late night epiphany?” he joked. 

“No, Felicity came to see me,” she told him. 

Of course he knew this, but he covered that as he asked her, “What’d she say?”

Thea laughed. “She told me she understood why I was upset. And that it was wrong for you to keep secrets from me. But to give you a chance because you love me.”

“She was right,” Oliver said immediately. “I do love you and I just wanted to keep you safe. Keeping you safe is all I’ve ever wanted to do, Thea.”

“She said something like that too. She’s really pretty awesome, you know.” Thea told him. 

“Yes, she is. And she was also right that I shouldn’t keep secrets from you.”

“No more secrets then?” 

He bit his lip. “Yes. Which means I have one more secret to tell you. And it’s a big one.”

“Oh? Bigger than knowing Slade Wilson from the island?”

“Yes. And maybe not bigger but equally as big as Malcolm being your father.”

She looked surprised. “Wow. I… can’t imagine what it’d be.”

He stood up, leaving his coffee on the bar. He held out his hand to her. “Come with me? It’s easier to just show you.”

She slid off her stood and took his hand. “Okay… lead the way then.”

He walked her to the back of the club, down the employee corridor. He could tell she was growing more confused. He stopped by the door down to the basement. 

“Your secret is the flooded basement? Ollie, I already knew about that.”

He shook his head. “No, I told you it was flooded but… it’s something else.”

Holding his breath, he punched in the current code, listening the to the door locks beep their release. He opened the door to the darkened basement beyond. He led the way down the stairs with Thea tentatively following after him. 

“Ollie, what is this?” she asked. 

He stopped by the fuse box and flipped the master lever for the electricity, the one that controlled the lights and equipment but not the computers because Felicity would kill him if he killed the power to her servers and computers all the time. 

The lights flickered on illuminating the computer set up, the med bay, the sparring mats, the salmon ladder and… the glass case containing his Arrow gear. 

Thea walked forward towards it as if drawn by a magnetic pull. Oliver hung back, unsure of what her reaction would be. He’d lied to her so much in the past two years… could she forgive him?

“Like I told you upstairs, I lied to protect you. That includes… this,” he told her.

“You—you’re him,” she whispered, not taking her eyes off the mannequin wearing his Arrow gear. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled, shuffling his feet. 

“You saved me when those copycat vigilantes took me last fall. That was you! All those times I got mad at you for being a flake or telling me something I knew had to be a lie, you were out there saving someone’s life,” she said. 

Oliver stopped, unsure he’d heard her right. He didn’t answer, didn’t know how to answer that. She turned around and looked at him then. Her eyes were full of tears and she launched herself at him. He caught her easily. 

“Thank you, Ollie,” she whispered into the fabric of his shirt. “Thank you.”

He hugged her back, feeling so grateful for her, and for her understanding. He wasn’t sure he deserved it but here she was, thanking him. 

She pulled away and smiled up at him. “Do you know how many times I’ve wished that I could thank the Arrow for things he’s done for the city?”

“Probably as many times as I’ve wished we could have this conversation.” 

She laughed a little as she stepped away to explore the lair. “This stuff is neat.”

“Thanks. So… you’re not mad?”

“Mad?” She looked at him quizzically. “How could I be mad that my brother is a hero? Besides, you’re my brother. I love you for life.”

Oliver’s heart warmed as he watched her study his arrows. 

“Does Mom know?” she asked. 

“No. I haven’t told her,” Oliver said. “I was so worried you’d be angry with me, Speedy.”

“I’m disappointed you didn’t tell me sooner. I would have wanted to help,” she said.

Oliver scoffed. He wasn’t quite ready to entertain the thought of his sister joining his crusade. 

Thea continued her tour of the foundry. Her fingertips glided over the tops of Felicity’s monitor. 

“You have help,” she said. 

Oliver nodded. “I do.”

She turned to look at him. “Felicity, right?” 

“Yes, and Diggle. Since almost the beginning. Sara has even helped out, since she came back.”He sucked in a breath. “And, recently… Roy has joined us too.”

Thea stopped and raised her eyebrows. “Roy. _Roy_ is on your team?”

“Yes. But don’t be angry at him for not telling you. I told him he couldn’t. He… didn’t agree.”

“You’re just saying that so I won’t be mad at him,” she said. 

“Nope. He wanted to tell you. We fought about it. He’s disagreed with a lot of my methods, some he was right to disagree with and some he wasn’t. I knew when Felicity agreed with him that I should probably rethink telling you.”

“Felicity’s a smart woman.” Thea took a few steps and then paused. “She said that you tried to push her away, and that she was upset with you about it.”

“Yes, I did,” Oliver admitted. “I was lucky that she forgave me.”

“Did you tell Roy to do the same thing with me?”

Oliver winced, feeling he should have expected that from her. Thea had always been quick and intuitive. “I did.” He saw his sister’s face screw up and he held up a hand. “I saw that he was spiraling out of control and I was worried for your safety. That’s the only reason.”

“So wait… the reason he’s been acting so off balance lately… that has to do with all of… this?” She gestured at the equipment around the foundry. 

“Yes. It’s a long story and I’ll tell you it. But it does relate back to Slade Wilson.”

Thea nodded. “Okay. I’ll hear it out. But before we get into that, can I tell you one thing?”

He hesitated. “Sure?”

“Don’t fuck up this thing with Felicity. She loves you and you love her.”

“I’m trying, Speedy…”

“Try harder. She came to me to ask me to talk to you because she cares about our relationship. Do you understand how amazing that is?”

Oliver felt a little ache build in his chest and he rubbed at it. “I do. Felicity’s been telling me for a while that keeping secrets from you is probably hurting our relationship more than helping it. But I was so stuck in my way, wanting to believe it was better—“

“Seriously?” his sister cut in. 

“—But I started to think she might be right. She said the best way to stay safe and together through hardship is through inclusion. So I’m trying that.”

Thea smiled and then engulfed him in another hug. “Yep, you better bring her roses _and_ wine, big brother. “Don’t let this one get away.”

***

Felicity was just settling in with some Chinese take-out and a DVR full of Survivor episodes when there was a knock at her apartment door. Sighing, she set her container of chow mein down and got up off the couch. 

She wore an old pair of sweatpants that barely clung to her hips and one of Oliver’s old t-shirts that she’d stolen from him. Her hair was up in a makeshift bun and if she’d actually put on makeup that day, she would have washed it off by now. But she hadn’t even left her apartment all Sunday. She had, however, caught up on some paperwork for her actual job and even cleaned out the grout in her shower. So the day wasn’t a total wash. 

Oliver had encouraged her to take a day to herself. Dig was taking some time and so was Roy. They were all shaken after Thea’s kidnapping. Taking a few days to rest up and gather their wits while Slade was still lying close to ground wasn’t a bad idea. Especially since they had no idea when he would make his move or just how big that move would be. She had searches for him running, with alerts sent straight to her cell phone. So far? The man was a ghost. So one night off wouldn’t hurt anything. 

Besides, she had all those episodes of Survivor to catch up on. 

Felicity paused before opening the door, remembering Dig and Oliver’s harsh words about minding her surroundings at all times. She got up on her toes and looked out her peep hole. There, on her welcome mat, was Oliver. He had something in his hands. _Roses_? 

She pulled open the door and leaned against the frame. Oliver stood there, holding a bouquet of twelve red tulips and in his other hand was a bottle of what looked like red wine. She raised her eyebrows. “Is that a peace offering?” she asked him. She’d forgiven him, and he’d known she’d forgiven him, so she wasn’t quite sure why he was bringing her wine and roses. 

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s a bribe,” he replied. 

“A bribe?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah. A bribe so that I can stay in your good graces.”

It made her smile. Oliver wasn’t known for his overt romantic gestures. So whenever he made one, she couldn’t help but appreciate it. 

She stepped aside and gestured him inside. Oliver ducked his head and walked inside. Felicity closed the door behind him, engaging the latch. 

He went right into her kitchen, and he knew where to find the vases. She watched as he filled the vase with water and put the roses into it. He turned, passing the vase to her and she took it from him. The perfume, subtle but fresh, reached her nose and she buried her face in the soft petals. 

She took the flowers into the living room and set it on her coffee table. When she returned to the kitchen, Oliver was pouring the wine into her favorite stemless glasses. He hadn’t spoken yet and neither had she. The silence wasn’t weighted and uncomfortable. Instead it was easy and familiar. She admired his hands as he handled the glasses and the wine bottle, his efficient movements, the elegance of his long fingers. The sight of his forearms now that he had his henley rolled up to his elbows. 

God, he was a beautiful man. 

She’d forgiven him already and he knew that. This wasn’t about forgiveness. She understood that Oliver was thanking her for her place in his life, for caring about him, for not giving up on him yet. For her, it was simple. They were a mortal lock, the two of them. 

He handed her one of the glasses and then tipped his own towards it. She let the rims clink together musically. She looked up to find his eyes warm and open on her. “To us,” he said. 

“To us,” she echoed. 

They each took a sip and she kept her eyes on him as she swallowed the rich wine. He picked well, but then, he always did. His taste in wine rivaled hers. 

Felicity walked to the sofa and resumed her former seat. Oliver joined her a moment later. But instead of reaching for the remote to cue up her Survivor marathon, she looked to him a raised, expectant eyebrow. 

“This thing with Thea… it made me realize even more how wrong I’ve been. I’m sorry I tried to push you away before,” he told her simply. “You were right. It was a hurtful thing to do.”

It still amazed her now, that he would apologize to her. The man she’d known last year would rather swallow his own tongue than do that. He’d come so far, in such a short amount of time. 

“You scared me,” she admitted. 

“How?” he asked. 

Felicity took a breath. It was hard to dredge this up but he’d come far in his own growth, she could take this step too. “My father left us when I was 7 years old. I don’t even have words for how bad that hurt. And for the longest time, I asked myself what was so unloveable about me that he could just leave like that.”

Oliver looked devastated. He reached for her hand. “Felicity, I’m so sorry. I never meant to make you think—“

“I know that,” she interrupted him gently. “I know you’re nothing like my father. I know you love me and you were pushing me away because you love me. But it reminded me of how that felt and that’s what scared me. I don’t think I could handle losing you, Oliver.”

He scooted closer to her and the hand on hers traveled up her arm to cup her head. His thumb rubbed circles on her neck. “You won’t, Felicity. I’m not going anywhere. I made a mistake. You helped me see I was wrong. But you have to know that it was just because I was so scared.”

“Why are you scared, Oliver?” she wanted to know. “You have me, you know I love you.”

“You said you don’t know if you could handle losing me?” he reminded her. “It’s the same for me. If something happened to you because I was selfish and kept you with me instead of keeping you safe, then I could never live with myself.”

She mirrored him, her own hand cupping his jaw. His scruff bit into the sensitive flesh of her palm. “Being with me isn’t being selfish, Oliver.”

“How can it not be?” he asked, his eyes pained. “It feels so… happy. I don’t know if I deserve this happiness.”

“You do. You’ve fought so hard and for so long and you’ve lost so much. You deserve every moment of happiness that you get.” When he looked unconvinced, she tried another tactic. “I deserve that happiness too. You see, our fates are entwined now. And if you’re miserable, then so am I. And if you’re happy, then so am I. You wouldn’t deny me that happiness, would you?”

“You’ve got me there, Ms. Smoak,” he said softly. “I should have known you’d outsmart me on my brooding.”

Felicity smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He clearly wanted to deepen the kiss but she pulled away before he could part her lips. She smiled even more at the frustrated look that crossed his face. 

“I just hope you know that I can take care of myself. I might not be a fighter like you or Dig or Sara or Roy, but I’m not helpless. I’m pretty crafty. Slade Wilson would have to get up pretty early in the morning to get past me.”

Oliver rolled his eyes at her. “You forget I know how you are in the morning. He doesn’t have to get up early at all because you are nearly useless first thing in the morning.”

“Ah, but does _he_ know that?”

That made Oliver laugh. “I know you can take care of yourself. You hold your own with me all the time. If I weren’t completely unwilling to let you out of my sight, I’d be smart to just let you at Slade Wilson. I bet he’d be running for the hills in no time,” he told her. 

“That’s not a half bad idea. And I’d agree to it if the thought of confronting Slade didn’t scare me spitless.”

“We’ll figure this out,” he promised her. “As a team, this time.”

“Did you talk to Thea yet?” she asked. 

“Yes, this morning. She came to see me.”

“Good.” She smiled. “I’m glad. How did that go? Did she forgive you?”

Oliver nodded. “She did. And… I showed her the foundry. The basement. I took her down there, let her know who I was, what I did.”

Felicity felt her jaw drop open. “You did? Oh, wow. How did she take it? Was she mad about it?”

“That’s the amazing part. She was so… proud. She hugged me and thanked me.” 

Felicity watched, amazed, as this big man’s eyes filled with tears. She grabbed him in a hug, overcome with the emotion. She knew that was a huge thing for him, sharing that secret with his sister. But she knew exactly how Thea felt because right then she was so proud of him she felt like crying too. 

“I’m so happy for you. Both of you,” she said. 

Oliver drew back from her embrace and his eyes were still damp but the expression in those blue depths wasn’t one of sadness or happiness… She recognized that dark look and she felt her own body respond immediately. Just from a _look_. 

He leaned forward again and captured her lips in a kiss. This time, she didn’t pull back. She surged forward, allowing him to pull her into his arms as though she weighed nothing. He wrapped himself around her, devoured her, and she devoured him back. Even just a handful of days without this man in her bed was too long. 

It was only a few passes with his talented tongue over hers before he was pressing her back into the sofa cushions and plucking at the waistband of her sweatpants impatiently. When he lifted his head from hers, she grinned at him. “You don’t want to move this to my bed?”

“Your bed is too fucking far,” he growled before diving back down and latching onto her neck. Felicity arched into him, her fingers automatically going to his hair. She shifted underneath him, pressing her hips up towards his. 

Oliver swore and pulled back but only long enough to tear her sweatpants and underwear off all in one go. He tossed them to the floor as he nudged her legs apart, settling into the cradle she presented to him. He was fumbling with the button and zip on his jeans, trying to push them down. Felicity wriggled again, making him groan, and momentarily press his forehead to hers. 

“You aren’t making this easy,” he warned her. 

“No, I want to make it _hard_ ,” she replied. 

“Minx,” he muttered. 

Finally, he got his jeans and boxers pushed down and she could feel the hot, hard length of him pressing against her abdomen. She wanted to get her hands on him but there wasn’t room between their bodies. Or there wasn’t until Oliver lifted a little, reaching down between them. She felt his fingers brush against her folds and he dropped his head to her shoulder, groaning. 

“You’re wet already,” he said, his voice throaty. “How are you already wet?”

Did she tell him she’d gotten wet as soon as she watched him pouring the wine? It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him but then he was removing his fingers and she felt his cock press at her entrance. She shifted, tilting her hips to encourage him to slide into her. 

He filled her perfectly and Felicity breathed out a sigh of relief at their joining. Oliver pressed his forehead to hers as he pumped his hips. It was fast and crude and sloppy but it was also perfect. She held him close, her breaths mingling with his, her moans blending with his, her hips eagerly meeting his. 

And as she crested before splitting apart, as he spilled his release inside of her, Felicity continued to hold him tight, because there was nowhere else on earth she’d rather be than right there in his arms, being loved by him. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team wonders what on earth Slade would want with a bio-transfuser and they find out in a big way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my beta, @the-silverforked-sky.

“Why isn’t Roy here?” Sara asked as they settled into the back of the Arrow van. Dig sat behind the wheel while the rest of them perched on the benches in the back, readying their ski masks for the mission ahead of them. 

The van lurched as Dig pulled out of the alley next to Verdant and Felicity fell forward a bit so Oliver reached out to steady her. She smiled her thanks at him but was distracted by trying to get her mask on in a manner that made the eyeholes match up with her actual eyes. What sort of weird alien creatures were these things made for, anyhow? 

“I called him,” Oliver said. “I left several messages and Dig swung by his place before coming to the foundry. He wasn’t there.”

Felicity stopped fiddling with her mask, letting it sit in her lap for the moment. “Wait, you don’t know where he is? That’s weird, right?”

Oliver nodded. “I texted Thea to see if she’d seen him but she said she hadn’t since Verdant closed last night.”

“Do you think—“ Sara began and then she cut herself off. 

“That Slade did something to him? After Thea’s kidnapping, anything is possible,” Oliver said. 

Felicity blew out a breath. She’d been worried about Roy all day but now wasn’t the time to let herself get distracted by anything but the mission before her. It wasn’t often that she got to go into the field and after the disaster with the Clock King, she’d been sure Oliver would say no to this plan of hers. But he’d only agreed that blowing up the STAR Labs warehouse was the best possible plan. 

They’d learned through Isabel, who was still lurking around town trying to make business deals, that Slade had gained access to the STAR Labs warehouse. And the warehouse contained an industrial centrifuge, which he’d most certainly want to use to transform the prisoners he’d recruited into a mirakuru army. Blowing up the warehouse, and the centrifuge and all other technology he could use for this purpose, seemed like the best option at their disposal. 

She was more than a little nervous about adding “criminal bomber” to her resume of special skills. 

“I don’t think my eye holes line up properly,” she grumbled as she tried again with her mask. “Is anyone else having this problem?”

“Don’t be nervous,” Oliver cautioned her. 

“I’m a lot nervous,” she replied quickly. “This is a big move. Even for us. And we’ve cornered the market on big moves.” 

“Slade isn’t giving us any choice,” Sara pointed out. 

“I’m just not so sure this was a very good plan,” she said, pulling her mask around and then sighing. This was probably as good as it’d get. 

“Felicity, this was your plan,” Sara reminded her. 

“I didn’t think Oliver would say yes, though.”

She could see well enough through her eye holes to see Oliver roll his own eyes before slipping his mask on. 

“Okay, we’re here!” Dig announced. The van lurched to a stop. 

The plan, as poor as she was starting to think it was, went off more or less without a hitch. Oliver and Dig knocked out the guards and pulled them away from the building. Felicity used the skeleton key from their adventure with William Tockman to open the doors to the warehouse. Sara and she spread out, placing the charges while Dig and Oliver took care of any security guards they encountered inside. Felicity nearly got shot by a nervous and rather green looking guard before Oliver popped up, knocking him out. 

As soon as they were away from the building, Oliver set off the charges and the resulting explosion shook the van as they sped back towards the foundry. He looked upset and Felicity patted his arm. “It’s okay,” she assured him. “It had to be done.”

“I know,” he said. “I just… it feels wrong.”

She understood. He was trying to be a hero. Blowing up a building, even in the name of protecting the city, still felt like something the bad guys would do. 

As they filed into Verdant, sans masks and in their regular clothes, Oliver placed a hand low on her back and leaned towards her. “Can you maybe run a search for Roy when we get downstairs?” he asked her. 

Felicity nodded. “No problem.”

Which is what she did. Oliver started doing sets on the salmon ladder while Sara and Dig went to check Roy’s house. Felicity tried not to worry too much but it was hard. They had no more “in” with the police department since Quentin was on administrative leave. While Slade had ultimately been named as the chief suspect in Thea’s kidnapping, he was still in hot water for working with the Arrow. While the department cut through that red tape and cleared the charges, Quentin was at home and they were without any contact in that department. Which, Oliver reminded her, they’d gotten by without before. But Felicity couldn’t help but think it might be easier to find Roy if they had access to that resource. 

After she had her searches set up, Oliver jumped off the top rung of the ladder and pulled his shirt back on. “C’mon. Let’s go upstairs for a drink while we wait for Dig and Sara.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, standing up from her chair. 

“Yeah, we could use the break.”

They weren’t upstairs for long before Dig and Sara joined them at the bar. “It’s empty,” Dig announced. 

“All his stuff is there though, so I don’t think he left town or anything,” Sara said. 

“Where the heck is he then?” Felicity asked. 

“It might have to wait until we figure out what Slade’s next move is,” Oliver said. “Let’s head back down stairs, check if the searches have come back and I’ll give Thea and Tommy a call to see if they’ve heard from Roy.”

The four of them headed down but hadn’t gotten more than halfway down the stairs before Oliver stopped dead in his tracks, grabbing Felicity’s arm to halt her where she was descending just in front of him. Dig and Sara froze behind him. Waiting for them in front of her bank of computers was a man in heavy armor and a two-toned mask. _Deathstroke_. Slade Wilson had found their base. 

He lifted a gun towards them and Oliver acted immediately. He grabbed Felicity, vaulting them over the side of the staircase. Her stomach lifted briefly into her throat as they fell through the air. Oliver landed on the hard concrete floor first, absorbing the shock and keeping her steady. As soon as her feet touched the floor he was maneuvering her to the space underneath the stairs, where she’d be hidden from the madman in the mask. 

Dig and Sara both rushed at Slade. Sara grabbed her staff and flew at him. But Slade easily picked her out of the air and threw her to the side, sending her crashing into a glass case. Felicity winced. Dig ran ahead, both guns blazing but the bullets just ricocheted off the armor and Dig, too, was smacked aside. That’s when she pushed on Oliver’s shoulder, and he ran out to try to draw Slade’s attention away from their friend. 

It was a short lived fight. Slade seemed to anticipate every single one of Oliver’s moves. He beat him down, ruthlessly, causing Felicity’s heart to leap and her to cry out at Oliver’s cry of pain. Then, just like that, it was over. She ran for the lights, which had been turned off, and switched them on. She saw her team struggling to their feet but no Slade anywhere. He was already gone. 

Everyone was mostly okay. Sara needed some stitches, which Oliver took care of while Felicity wrapped Diggle’s ribs. Oliver had a cut on his cheek that Felicity applied a butterfly bandage to. It could have been worse and they all knew it. Which begged the question: what was Slade after? 

Felicity did a quick inventory while they all finished patching each other up. Her heart sunk when she realized what was missing. 

“Oh no,” she muttered. 

Oliver looked up from where he’d been applying some salve to his knuckles. “What is it?”

“That did not sound like a good ‘oh no’,” Sara said. 

“Is there such a thing as a good ‘oh no’?” Dig wanted to know. 

“I know what he took,” Felicity said. She looked up and met Oliver’s eyes. “In fact, it’s the only thing he took, and was the whole reason he was here at all.”

“What is it?” Oliver repeated. 

“The skeleton key.”

“Shit!” Sara kicked an overturned table. 

“So let’s pretend that I can’t read psycho maniac’s minds,” Dig said. “What does him taking the skeleton key mean?”

“With the skeleton key, he can get into anywhere and take anything that he wants,” Felicity said. 

“And we know exactly what he wants,” Oliver added. 

“So we just need to figure out where it is that has what he wants,” Sara said. 

“And we already know the answer to that too.”

Sara and Dig looked confused but Felicity saw the realization dawn on Oliver’s face. “Oh shit,” he breathed. 

“What?” Sara asked. 

“Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences. They have the only other industrial transfuser in at least a 500 mile radius.” 

“Shit,” Sara muttered. 

“Okay, how do we stop him?” Dig asked. 

“That depends,” Felicity said, sitting down at her computers and quickly bringing up a search. She hacked into databases like most people logged into their Netflix accounts and at any other time she might have taken a moment to congratulate herself on that. 

“On what?” 

_Shit, shit, shit._ “On if it’s too late to stop him or not.” Felicity said sitting back and gesturing at the screen. 

Displayed was a police report from two minutes ago, concerning a break in at Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences building. Everyone groaned. 

“According to the report, the only equipment missing is, surprise surprise, an industrial transfuser.” 

“Fuck!” Oliver yelled. 

“How did he get it so fast?” Sara asked. 

“It’s been about an hour since we stumbled upon him here, right?” Dig asked. “It’s taken us at least that long to patch ourselves up and for Felicity to run a full inventory.”

“We should have known he would go right for the key,” Oliver grumbled. 

“But we didn’t,” Felicity said as she rubbed his shoulder in a show of solidarity and comfort.

“I think it’s time I go get help,” Sara said. 

They all turned to look at her. “Help?” Felicity asked. 

“League help. I know Nyssa would help if I asked. I don’t like owing the League any favors but… I think in this case it’s worth it.”

“Sara, are you sure?” Oliver asked, concerned. “I know how hard you fought to get Nyssa to release you…”

“I’m sure, Ollie,” she said with a sad smile. “I think this was kind of inevitable, actually.”

“Why do you say that?” Felicity asked. 

Sara shrugged. “I love her.”

Felicity got up and hugged her friend. She knew exactly how Sara felt. No matter what, she knew she’d always love Oliver. Something about them together felt inevitable too. Plus, god knew they could use the League’s help in dealing with Slade. Oliver still looked unsure but Felicity wasn’t about to look any gift horses in the mouth. 

***

Oliver and Dig were out on patrol, just keeping loose while waiting to hear something from Felicity. She was still running the scans for Roy while keep an eye on the city power grid. She said they’d know when Slade turned the transfuser on because it would cause a huge spike in the power use and they’d not only know that it was being used, but where it was being used too. 

It was a solid plan, but Oliver always hated the “wait and see” tactic. He’d rather be out there kicking in doors. But even he had to admit that’d be ineffective in this case. He was just feeling restless is all. Which was why he and Dig were out on patrol instead of pacing around the foundry. 

They’d just interrupted a run-of-the-mill mugging in an alleyway deep in the Glades when Felicity finally alerted them through the comms. 

“Guys, the grid at the corner of Collins and Main just spiked. Now that’s either the world’s largest hairdryer or Slade’s brand new bio-transfuser just went online.”

“Copy that,” Oliver said, gesturing at Dig to start for the van which was parked down the street from where they were. 

“The power cycle on this machine is very specific so you guys have 30 minutes.”

“So you’re saying don’t dawdle,” Dig said. 

“Exactly. And guys? Be careful out there.”

“We will,” Oliver promised. 

The building Felicity directed them to was little more than an abandoned warehouse. There was nothing remarkable about it in appearance, which was probably what drew Slade to the location to begin with. 

Getting inside proved a simple matter of just picking a solitary lock. “Is it just me or does this feel too easy?” Dig asked him as they eased their way inside. It was dark and silent. 

“It does. Keep an eye out.”

They crept in further and Oliver realized there was a light behind the virtual wall of crates in front of them. He motioned Dig to go around the other side and make sure things were cleared towards the rear of the building while he moved forward through the crates. 

What he saw when he pushed through was like something out of a science fiction thriller. There was an enormous machine in the center of the room, a single spotlight shining down on it. There were a lot of shiny parts, a lot of tubes and a steady thrumming sound. All around the machine, laid out in a star pattern, were men lying on gurneys, unconscious and unmoving. Attached to each man was an IV line leading to a larger tube leading to the center of this nightmarish machine. 

It must be the bio-transfuser. Oliver moved slowly and carefully around it, careful not to disturb anything and found… 

_Roy_. 

At the center of the machine lay his protege. An IV was affixed to his arm, blood flowing out of him and into the bowels of the machine, out to the men who were attached. Those were the inmates, Oliver recognized. Slade was doing exactly as they thought he planned, creating his mirakuru army. 

Oliver bent over Roy, who was heavily sedated and not moving so much as a muscle, looking for a way to get him unhooked. Slade must have taken him last night after he left Verdant. They needed to get the boy out of here before anyone else, namely Slade, showed up. 

He was about to signal Dig to come help him when a low, gritty voice boomed out, echoing around the cavernous space. “I wouldn’t touch him if I were you.”

Oliver whirled around, looking for the source. For _Slade_. He was here. 

“Removing him mid-cycle will surely end his life.”

“Slade, he’s just a kid!”

“He’s a _tool_ and I’m using him to create my army. He works better as a tool than as a sidekick, don’t you think?” Slade taunted. “Pathetic. He hardly even put up a fight. But then, I did rather take him by surprise.”

“I’ll be putting up a fight,” Oliver gritted out. “Tell me how to shut this down!” 

Slade stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a suit, not his armor. Lurking behind him was Isabel. Oliver grimaced. Slade’s one eye glittered at Oliver.He quickly nocked an arrow into his bow, aiming right for that one eye. 

“If you could feel the power that is surging through me right now, you would know that I do not fear an arrow,” Slade said, circling around him. “I am stronger than you can even imagine. And soon I will not be alone.”

When he gestured at the prone men lying around him, receiving the transfusion, Oliver felt a surge of rage. He let the arrow fly and Slade moved in a blur, using one of his swords to cut the arrow down out of the air. The useless pieces clattered to the floor. 

“You can’t hurt me, kid.”

Making a split second decision, Oliver aimed his next arrow right at the power source feeding into the transfuser. The machine ground to a silent stop. Slade snarled while he fired more arrows, three in rapid succession which Slade chopped easily out of the air. Oliver had to run for cover when Isabel started firing a gun at him. 

He threw a flechette at her, knocking the gun out of her hand and she switched to hand-to-hand combat. Her moves consisted mostly of kicks, practiced but Oliver easily evaded her blows. He was able to knock her down with his bow but Slade ran at him then, like a bull at a red flag, launching them backwards and into a wall. 

He wondered where Dig was, if he’d run into some opposition as he circled around the warehouse. Oliver could really use some backup right about now. 

Slade picked Oliver up and threw him to the ground which allowed him the chance to fire a special arrow right at Slade’s chest. It exploded in a shower of sparks and Oliver knew he didn’t have long before Slade would be back up on his feet again. He pulled himself up and hurried towards the bio-transfuser. He saw a vial of what looked a lot like mirakuru sitting on one of the tables near the platform and pocketed it. He too remembered what had happened on that island and if what Ivo had told him about the cure was true, it might be their only chance to stop Slade. 

He rushed up the platform towards Roy. Releasing the restraints, he felt nervous when Roy didn’t respond to any of the jolts to his body as Oliver freed him. “C’mon, Roy. Stay with me,” he muttered. 

That’s when he noticed Isabel. She’d picked herself back up and had her gun in hand once more. She was aiming right at him. For a split second, Oliver froze, knowing that if she pulled the trigger right then, there was no where he could hide to shield himself from those bullets. 

But then three gunshots rang out through the warehouse and Isabel shuddered. Oliver watched, stunned, as she dropped the gun and crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap. He looked behind him to see Dig standing there, gun drawn. He blew out a breath. 

“Had to go with the dramatic entrance?” he quipped. 

“You know me,” Dig muttered. He eyed Roy and then jerked his head towards the entrance. “I’ll go get the van and bring it around.”

Oliver had just finished untangling Roy from the IV lines and restraints when there was a clatter. He saw Slade lurching to his feet. Gritting his teeth, Oliver drew a grappling arrow and fired it at the skylight above them. Then, he grabbed Roy and released the grapple, sending them both through the skylight and into to cold night air. 

Roy’s pulse was weak as Dig raced them back to the foundry. Oliver let Felicity know they were okay and they were headed in, with Roy in tow. 

Once they had Roy set up on the med table, Felicity voiced the most obvious concern.

“He’s lost a lot of blood. I’m not 100% sure what the bio-transfuser did to him, but his pulse is really weak. He’s barely breathing and he needs a real doctor.”

“I know,” Oliver said, looking down to the prone form of his protege. “But we can’t take him to a hospital. They’d run tests on his blood and we need to keep what’s in him from getting out.”

“What do we do now?” she asked. 

“The only thing we can do— We wait.”

“While we’re waiting, we still have a Slade problem. He’s got twenty guys just like him now, and we have no way to stop him,” Dig pointed out.

Oliver blew out a breath. “Yes, we do.” He pulled the vial he’d taken from the warehouse out of the pocket in his leather pants and handed it to Felicity.

“Is this what I think it is?” she asked, studying the green liquid. 

“Mirakuru,” he confirmed. 

“You weren’t thinking of taking it, were you?” Dig wanted to know. 

He shook his head. “No. We’re going to use it to make a cure.”

Felicity blinked at him. “Oliver, we don’t know if it’s possible to reverse the effects.”

“Yes, I do,” he said. “Ivo did it, on the island.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us that?” Dig wanted to know. The accusation in his tone was clear. His friend clearly thought they were past the secret-keeping. This was more than keeping a secret. 

“Because I’m ashamed.”He met Dig’s eyes and then Felicity’s. “Five years ago, I had the chance to use the cure on Slade. I chose to kill him instead.”

“Oliver…” Felicity whispered, taking a step towards him. 

“Everything that’s happening right now is my fault because I made the wrong choice.”

“Oliver, you made a mistake,” Felicity said, rounding the table and coming to stand right in front of him. “We all do at one point or another.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much,” Dig told him. “You couldn’t know that killing him wasn’t as easy as you thought with the mirakuru in his system.”

“I should have known, though,” Oliver said. “He threatened my family and I just… I snapped.”

“No one could blame you,” Felicity insisted. 

“Slade does. He blames me and that’s why he’s here, trying to destroy my life.”

“Then we stay one step ahead of him,” Dig replied. “We don’t give him that chance. We’re in this together, Oliver. All of us.”

“And now that we know there’s a cure, we can get one _major_ step up on him,” Felicity said. 

Oliver sighed, feeling some of the tension seep out of his shoulders. He’d been afraid his friends might be disappointed with him, in the choice he’d made. He should have known they would support him, just like they always did. He got lucky the days he met John Diggle and Felicity Smoak. 

***

A few days later, Team Arrow was spinning their wheels. Felicity had gotten in touch with Caitlin and Cisco over at STAR Labs in Central City for help with mass producing this cure based on the vial of mirakuru that Oliver had acquired. They had the resources that she did not. Thankfully, they remembered her from her and Oliver’s visit to Barry and were happy to help out with the problem, especially once she explained the problem on their hands in the form of Slade Wilson. 

But, while waiting for the cure to be produced, there wasn’t much they could do. They kept Roy sedated in the basement of the foundry simply because they weren’t sure what else to do with him. Since the bio-transfuser, he’d been even more unstable and out of control than ever before. Each time he’d come out of sedation, the young man had become enraged and unreachable. Even Thea coming down into the basement to see him hadn’t helped. If anything, seeing her only seemed to spur on his volatile anger. That had upset Thea which in turn upset Oliver. 

Luckily, Felicity had enough Tibetan pit viper venom on hand to keep Roy under, but she wasn’t sure how long that would be the case. Hopefully, STAR Labs would come through for them soon. 

In the meantime, Oliver’s mom was holding a rally in Verdant. It was the last big push before the election. Moira was well ahead in the polls and everyone anticipated she would win over Sebastian Blood easily. 

Felicity was at the rally, showing up to support the Queens as Oliver’s girlfriend. The reporters in town loved to snap pictures of the two of them and run stories sensationalizing their relationship. They called them “Olicity” and right now, they liked the speculate on when they’d be heading down the aisle. Though just last week, Felicity had caught an alert on a tabloid website that claimed she sporting a “baby bump”. She’d felt rather insulted, particularly since the unflattering photograph had been snapped just as she and Oliver were leaving Big Belly Burger. No more Belly Busters for her, she imagined. 

She wore one of her nicer business dresses, her hair was down and straightened and she’d even put in her contacts. She sure hoped Moira would appreciate her efforts, but doubted the woman would notice. Felicity watched about a half a dozen staffers swarm around her as she descended the stairs from the club office upstairs where she’d been preparing for her speech. 

Oliver came down just after her and instead of following after his mother, he headed straight for where Felicity was lingering, near the stage and the podium. He had the most curious look on his face and she reached for his hand. 

“What is it? What happened?” she asked. 

“I talked to my mom upstairs and…” The peculiar look on his face shifted and he smiled a little. “She was talking about whether or not she was ready to tackle running the city and did she want to split her attention towards Thea and myself.I tried to give her a bit of a pep talk. I said I know a little something about making sacrifices for the good of the city.”

“Which is true.”

“Yeah, and she got this really still look on her face and said that she knows.” Oliver shrugged. “I thought she meant that she understood what I was saying but then she repeated that she _knew_.”

It dawned on Felicity right then and Oliver saw the expression on her face and nodded.“She figured out that I’m the Arrow.”

“For how long has she known? Or… suspected?” 

“She said since the night of the Undertaking.”

“Holy frack! Was she mad?”

He smiled and it was one of those beautiful smiles of his that melted her heart. “No! She said… she said she couldn’t be more proud of me.”

Felicity smiled at him. Oliver’s eyes were glittering a little. She knew how much this meant to him. First, his sister approving of his vocation and now his mother. For a man who had lost so much, to gain that from his family meant the world. She could see it in his eyes. So she pulled him into a big hug, holding on tight. 

“I’m proud of you too,” she whispered in his ear. 

He hugged her tighter. 

“Hey, can I join this love-fest?” 

They broke apart and smiled at Tommy who had joined them. “Thanks for coming,” Oliver told him. 

“Wouldn’t miss it. Where’s my not-so-new sister?” he asked looking around. 

“Thea is just powdering her nose, she’ll be back out in a minute,” Felicity answered. Tommy had gone to see Thea at the mansion after her ordeal. The two of them had spent some time talking, according to Roy who had stepped out to give them a moment together. They were still figuring out their relationship, and realizing that it wasn’t all that different from the relationship they already had. 

“Hey, I haven’t seen you all week and I’ve been meaning to ask… how are things going with Michelle?” Felicity asked him. 

“Good,” he replied, beaming. “Real good.”

Oliver’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah?”

Tommy grinned at him. “Oh, yeah.”

Felicity kinda wanted to know but judging from _that look_ she also didn’t want to ask. 

Thea rejoined them right then and soon Moira stepped up to the podium to make her speech. Oliver held her hand throughout and Felicity felt for the first time like she really belonged in a family. After her dad left, it was just her and her mom for so long. And her mom had been working so much of that time. Family moments were few and far between. Since leaving Vegas, she’d barely seen her mother. 

Maybe she should give her a call. 

When the rally was over, Moira wanted them all to go back to the mansion for a mini celebration. Felicity wanted to give the Queens a little family time together and she also wanted to check on her searches down in the basement before closing up for the night. Figuring out Slade’s next move before he made it felt more important than ever. 

“See you at the mansion?” Oliver asked, lingering with her as Moira said goodbye to some of her loyal donors. 

“Yes,” she told him. “And don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Tommy will be with me and I’ll bring him with me to the mansion.”

“That work for you, buddy?” he asked his friend. 

Tommy put a hand on Felicity’s shoulder. “She’s in good hands, Ollie.”

Oliver still looked reluctant but nodded as he bent to press a chaste kiss to her lips. “Be careful.”

“I will,” she promised. 

She watched as Oliver lead Thea and Moira out of the club and then she went down to the basement with Tommy following her. “I’m surprised Michelle isn’t here,” Felicity mentioned. “I haven’t seen her in about two weeks.”

“She was on call tonight,” Tommy explained. “She’s been really busy at the hospital.”

Felicity cut him a grin. “And all her spare time is spent with you, I bet.”

His grin in reply was easy. “Naturally.”

“I’m really happy for you, Tommy.”

“Thanks, Felicity. I really like her.”

Tommy glanced at Roy, who was still laid out on the med table, sedated with pit viper venom, but didn’t mention the boy any further. Felicity had given him another dose just before the rally so he’d probably be out for another several hours. 

Felicity settled in at her computer and methodically checked through all her searches, one by one. So far, _nothing_. Not even a false positive. It was maddening. It felt like being in the middle of a hurricane, the eye of the storm, waiting for the wall of shit to finally hit them again, but this time, twice as destructive. There’d been no news stories about Isabel either, either reporting her death or discussing how she was suddenly missing from the business scene. 

It was _eerie_. 

Tommy chattered away while Felicity worked, telling her about some film festival that he and Michelle had gone to the weekend before and how he thought it was fun but that Felicity should _not_ take Oliver because he’d be bored of his mind. Felicity knew Tommy spoke the truth because Oliver couldn’t stand to sit through movies with subtitles. Dubbed movies, on the other hand, he didn’t have a problem with. She wondered briefly about a Russian or Chinese film without subtitles or dubbing, if he would prefer that. But then _she_ wouldn’t get anything out of it, most likely. 

She was just about to ask Tommy if he and Michelle had hit up the local farmers market together yet when her phone beeped with a text. Expecting it was Oliver asking her to stop at the store and get something she picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. Her heart fell into her feet in an instant when she read the single word, sent from Thea’s phone: 

 

**_Help_**.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Felicity receives a distress text from Thea's cell phone, she and Tommy race to save the Queens. Will they be able to stand up to Slade?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! It's been a crazy weather week here... my kids have BARELY been in school this week. Gotta love January! This is an update I'm very excited about. It was a lot of fun to write, in fact, I vividly recall writing it as we drove over Donner Summit before Thanksgiving on our way to visit my family. So the very first part of this chapter reminds me of that snowy, stormy drive. Good times!
> 
> Thanks to my ever-faithful beta @the-silverforked-sky, who is probably as excited as I am if not more for me to be done posting this. LOL

“Felicity!”

It sounded like it wasn’t the first time Tommy had called her name. Her mind was racing, her fingers flying over the keyboard, bringing up the tracker that Felicity insisted Oliver have on him at all times. She muttered to herself, vowing to get a tracker on Thea too. Would Moira put up with a tracker, she wondered? Maybe if it was concealed in a tasteful piece of jewelry… she’d talk to Oliver… 

“I’m looking,” she mumbled distractedly to Tommy. Finally, her program locked on a signal from Oliver’s tracker and Felicity felt like she could breathe for the first time since she’d received Thea’s text. “Might have found something.”

Tommy leaned over her. “What is it? Where are they? What’s happening?”

“Slade Wilson,” she said, knowing in her gut that it _had_ to be him. This was the shoe she’d been waiting to drop. Tommy knew only the bare minimum about Slade, enough to know that he was someone to worry about. 

“Are they okay?”

“I don’t _know_ , Tommy,” she said, unable to keep the stress and irritation out of her voice. Her heart was pounding and she was having a difficult time catching her breath. She felt his hand on her shoulder, rubbing at the tension there. 

“They’ll be okay,” Tommy assured her. Felicity knew he was trying to make her feel better and wished she could feel comforted so easily. 

“Okay, I’ve finally got a good lock on Oliver’s tracker,” she announced. “It looks… that’s the north side of town. What’s that big park up there? The one where people walk their dogs on the trails?”

“Victory Park. What the hell are they doing _there_?” he wanted to know. 

Felicity was afraid to ask. 

“Grab your coat. No… grab a gun. Grab three guns. I’m sending a 911 text to Dig with the location so he can meet us there.” She got up and faced Tommy. “We’re going after them.”

Tommy nodded shortly and turned to the small but utilitarian armory they kept. He grabbed a few guns, passing her one. Oliver had given her some bare-bones gun training, mostly consisting of target shooting, but she at least knew how to handle a gun. She was far from being comfortable with one, but if push came to shove, she could shoot someone. And if he was hurting Oliver or Thea or Moira, Felicity could certainly shoot Slade Wilson. 

“I’m driving,” Tommy insisted as they headed out the alley entrance. 

“Fine,” Felicity said. She already had her tablet out, still watching Oliver’s tracking beacon. Her entire focus was narrowed on that blinking red dot, as though it was assuring her that Oliver was still okay, still alive. She swallowed thickly as she let herself into the passenger side of Tommy’s BMW SUV. “Just… drive fast.”

Tommy didn’t need to be told twice. 

The streets of the Glades and Downtown Starling whipped by as they sped towards Victory Park. The light traffic at the late hour made for a much quicker ride to the park, though Tommy may have broken a few dozen traffic laws which contributed to their record arrival time of five minutes. Felicity told Tommy to park near the entrance and they would walk in on foot. If they were truly dealing with Slade as she feared, their best chance would be taking him by surprise. 

The night was breezy and cold… winter trying to cling to the earth as spring pushed forward relentlessly. It made the trees shiver and shake in the steady wind and Felicity scented rain in the air as they crept through the woods, following that blinking red tracking beacon. Neither of them spoke and Felicity knew that Tommy had to be just as scared as she was. She had to remind herself that they were operating off a gut feeling, mostly. Thea had sent them an SOS text, and it was strange enough that the text had come from her and not from Oliver. They had a signal for Oliver, that lead them to this park, a park no one ever went to this late at night. Slade was on the loose and targeting Oliver and his family. They should have been at the mansion by now, toasting Moira’s imminent victory in the mayoral race. So the fears weren’t unfounded. There was absolutely reason to be concerned here. There absolutely was reason to believe that Slade was the cause of whatever it was that was happening. 

“Shh, do you hear that?” Tommy whispered, grabbing her arm to stop her. Felicity crouched and held still, listening. 

It sounded like… “Crying?” she whispered back. 

He nodded, looking grim as he tried to peer through the darkness of the woods around them. It definitely sounded like whimpering. Feminine. Young, maybe.

“Could be Thea.”

“Yeah, I think so,” Tommy replied. His eyes looked hard. Somehow, it eased Felicity’s nerves to know that Tommy was just as focused and determined on saving the Queens as she was. She wasn’t alone in this. And Dig had texted her back, telling her he was on the way. He would be here soon. 

She had a gun tucked into her waistband and another small one tucked into her boot. She carried her tablet, but could tuck that into her coat when she needed to. 

“We’re getting close,” she told Tommy as the continued to creep forward. 

“I think I see a light.”

She peered and realized Tommy was right. It looked like headlights. The noises she’d heard earlier were louder now, more clear. They were definitely soft cries. She could hear another voice, low and steady, speaking, but couldn’t make out the words. She and Tommy picked their way through the underbrush very carefully, trying not to make any noise. The wind helped, actually, creating a steady whoosh that covered the sounds of their footsteps. 

Finally, they reached a break in the trees and Tommy held up a hand to indicate for her to stop. She tucked her tablet into the inner pocket in her jacket and drew the gun out of her waistband. She noticed Tommy pull out his gun as well. She knew he had at least two more on him. Good, because they would probably need it. 

Felicity got her first good look at the scene before them and she had to bite down hard on her lip to hold in a cry. A large SUV was parked to the side, it’s headlights illuminating the horrific tableau set in stark contrast with the dark woods around them. Three people either lay on the ground or were kneeling. One man, wearing a dark overcoat, paced back and forth in front of them. _Slade_. The one laying on the ground was still. _Oliver_. Felicity’s heart leapt into her throat; was he alive? What happened to him? The two on their knees were Thea and Moira. Thea was weeping and Moira was speaking to Slade. 

“You don’t have to do this, Mr. Wilson. You can let us go right now and we don’t even have to report this,” she said, trying to reason with him. But Slade was a madman. And there was no reasoning with a madman. 

“Mrs. Queen, _your son_ has driven me to do this. He has removed my choice in this,” Slade snarled. 

“Oliver!” Thea cried suddenly. Felicity saw that Oliver was stirring on the ground. He’d probably been knocked out. How had Slade gotten them? They’d all left in the limo, Felicity had watched them leave together… 

Moira noticed as well and started calling for her son too. Oliver pushed himself up to his knees, a difficult task with his hands bound behind him. Slade preened in front of him, like some sort of demented peacock. 

“I was dead the last time you were offered this choice,” he told Oliver, his voice low and sinister. 

“Slade?” Oliver’s voice was slurred, his tone confused. Felicity bit her lip again, wishing she could pull him into her arms take him away from this. “What’s happening?”

A very good question. What was Slade’s game here? She hated to think he’d brought them all here to execute them, but she couldn’t deny that it looked like that’s what he was setting them up for. 

“Tommy…” she whispered. 

“We should see if we can wait for Dig,” he whispered back. “If we need to, we can jump in.”

“I often wonder how you looked when Ivo pointed the gun at Shado and took her from me,” Slade said, still pacing behind Thea and Moira. “You may as well have pulled the trigger yourself!”

“You psychopath!” Oliver cried. “Shado wasn’t yours!”

“No!” Slade roared. “She was _yours_. Until you chose another woman over her!”

“That’s not what happened,” Oliver insisted. 

“It is what happened! It is! She told me!” 

Felicity’s breath caught. What the hell? Oliver had told her that he thought Slade was losing his mind, but was he actually seeing dead people, talking to him? Was this vision of Shado somehow fueling Slade’s rage?

Oliver was reaching the same conclusions as she was. “What do you mean, _she_?? There’s nobody else here!”

“I thought I had known true despair,” Slade said, directing his comments to Moira. “Until I met _your son_. I trusted him to make the right choice.”

“Let me make the right choice now!” Oliver cried. “Kill me!”

Felicity had to bite back a cry of denial as Slade yelled, “NO!” 

“Choose me! Please!” Tears were coursing down Oliver’s cheeks.

“I _am_ killing you, Oliver. Only more slowly than you would like.”

“Don’t do this,” Oliver begged. Felicity itched to move. 

“Choose, Oliver! Choose between your sister and your mother. One of them will die here tonight and it will be all. On. You.” 

Slade paused behind Thea and Oliver just _lost it_. “No!” he screamed. “I swear to god, I am going to kill you! No!”

He was sobbing now and Slade just seemed to be soaking it all in with sick delight. “There is only one way this night can end, and we both know that.”

But Felicity’s eyes were torn away from him and towards Moira. She was getting to her feet shakily. “Mr. Wilson?” she said, her voice just as shaky as her knees. Felicity realized that she was scared and she never thought anything could shake that woman. “Both my children will live.”

Thea cried out. “Mom! What are you doing?”

“No!” Oliver screamed. 

“Tommy…” she whispered urgently. They had to do _something_ , even if Dig wasn’t here yet. She could not let Moira sacrifice herself like this. 

“I know,” he whispered back. “We need a plan.”

Felicity fought the urge to cry out as Moira pleaded with Thea to close her eyes. “Diversion?” she asked. 

“I have a knife,” he replied. “I can cut Ollie’s ties if you can distract Slade.”

“I can do that,” she said, nodding vigorously. 

“Do not get hurt, Felicity,” Tommy said, grabbing her arm. “Just distract him and I will free Oliver. We’ll go from there.”

She nodded again. He counted off three fingers and when he got to one, they both leapt up and out of their concealment. Felicity charged in Slade’s direction, lifting her gun and shooting at him but she was shaking so badly that her aim was way off; the shot went wild into the trees. Slade looked towards her, alarmed and Moira too looked shocked. Tommy bolted towards Oliver while everyone was distracted.

“Hey!” Felicity yelled. “Why choose between these two when you can add me to the mix?” 

“Felicity!” Thea cried. 

It gave Tommy just the opening he needed. Out of the corner of her eye, Felicity could see him crouching behind Oliver, cutting his ties. 

“Ah, it’s the girl with the glasses,” Slade snarled. He hadn’t yet noticed Tommy and was focused solely on her. Which was great because it allowed him to free Oliver but now Slade was advancing on her. Felicity backed up, trying not to trip over her own feet. 

“Did you come to save your dearest love?” Slade continued to taunt her. Felicity’s eyes darted to the sword he held at his side as he slowly advanced on her. “I could kill you in the blink of an eye. It would save me time later.”

“Let Moira and Thea go,” Felicity told him, cursing the wavering in her voice. 

Slade chuckled meanly. “That would ruin the fun,” he snarled. “I have plans, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity detected some more movement over from where Oliver crouched, meaning she needed to keep Slade’s attention directed to her. “You will never hurt this family. Oliver will stop you,” she told him, standing her ground and mustering courage she didn’t know she had. 

“Oliver couldn’t begin to stop me.” Slade lifted his sword, pointing it towards her. “And he won’t be able to stop me from running you through. He will be forced to watch you bleed out in front of his eyes.”

“Your hatred blinds you,” Felicity told him. “You claim this is what Shado wants but she wouldn’t want to see a man she loved reduced to hate and vengeance. You dishonor her memory.”

Slade’s face transformed from mocking and sadistic to utter rage. “You didn’t know her! You don’t get to speak her name!” he shouted. He moved quickly now, his sword raised, ready to strike her down. 

Felicity winced, bracing for a blow that never came. Tommy rushed forward, between her and Slade. She watched in horror as Slade’s blade struck her friend, piercing him through the shoulder as he got between them. Felicity screamed as Tommy collapsed at her feet. Even Slade looked surprised that his sword had met a different mark than he intended. 

Before they could react, Oliver tackled Slade to the ground, knocking his sword away. Felicity kicked it further away under the dead leaves and then rushed to Thea and Moira. She found the knife Tommy had used on Oliver’s bonds and used that to free them. 

Thea rushed immediately to Tommy, tears pouring down her cheeks. Felicity grabbed Moira’s arm, “You and Thea need to get out of here,” she told her. 

“I’m not leaving my son!” Moira insisted. 

Felicity darted a glance to Oliver and Slade. Without weapons, they were just beating on one another. Slade was quickly getting the upper hand, his strength giving him an advantage in a hand-to-hand battle. Her stomach turned when Slade landed a particularly hard punch to Oliver’s jaw. 

She was about ready to jump on Slade’s back, just to pull his focus away from Oliver, when a gunshot rang out through the clearing. Slade jerked back from where he’d been poised over Oliver. A red bloom appeared on his chest. 

Felicity whipped around and saw Dig charge out of the forest, two guns drawn. He continued to fire at Slade until he fell backwards off of Oliver, onto the ground where he lay, motionless. 

She ran forward to help Oliver up to his feet. He grunted in pain and leaned on her, his weight heavy. Dig rushed to help her but she indicated Tommy who was making a moaning noise and was clearly losing a lot of blood, but was still alive. 

“You need to get him.”

“What about Slade? We should take him in,” Dig said. 

Felicity looked back around to where Slade had fallen and found… nothing. He was gone. Blood-stained leaves were the only indication he’d just been laying in that very spot. 

“He’s gone!” she gasped. 

Oliver looked around. “He’s gone.”

He exchanged a look with Dig. They could probably find him, if they both combed the forest right now. He was injured and vulnerable. But Tommy was hurt and Oliver’s mother and sister were here and Oliver himself was limping. 

“So he lives to fight another day,” Dig grumbled. 

“Yes, but so do we,” Moira pointed out. She stood next to Thea, brushing the leaves from her clothes. 

Oliver went to his mother immediately, engulfing her in a hug. “You gave yourself up,” he told her. 

“I couldn’t let that man threaten my children, when I could be the one to save them,” she answered. 

Felicity’s eyes pricked with tears. She might not always agree with Moira’s methods, but her love for her children was humbling. In her own way, Moira was an amazing mother. 

“Touching as this is,” Dig said, “we need to get out of here. There’s no telling when he’ll heal up and be back here to finish us all off.”

Oliver agreed and together, with Tommy hefted over Dig’s shoulder, they made their way out of the forest. 

***

Oliver was a mess of emotions in the aftermath of the scene in the park. His greatest nightmare had come to life, with him helpless to do anything. One minute they’d been riding in the limo, headed towards the Queen manor, and the next their vehicle had been slammed by another. Oliver had been knocked out and woken up on a cold forest floor to the sobs of his sister. 

Slade had set it all up, intending to force Oliver into an impossible choice, a nightmarish retelling of that moment on the island. There was no way he could ever make that choice and Slade knew it. The man wanted to break him and that was a surprisingly effective way to get it done. Then, his mother had risen, intending to sacrifice herself. He’d thought it was all over, right there. 

Then, a miracle had happened. Felicity and Tommy had come to save the day. Thea had managed, while Oliver was knocked out, to get an SOS text out to Felicity. As much as watching Slade face down Felicity filled Oliver’s veins with ice, he felt such overwhelming pride at how _brave_ she’d been. She and Tommy had saved them. Saved his mother to be sure. There was no doubt in his mind that his mother would be dead right now if not for those two beautiful (and _stupid,_ they could have been killed!) people coming to save them. 

As it was, Tommy’s injury was too severe for them to patch him up back at the foundry, especially when they considered Roy laying there on the med table. His mother had decided they wouldn’t hide the attack and she would issue a statement to the press about a sanitized version of what happened. Already, her campaign manager had decided to spin the ordeal as being politically motivated, with Moira being the focus of the attack and not Oliver. Considering Slade had just kidnapped Thea, it was believable and would only make the Queens more sympathetic in the press. Politically speaking, it was a smart move. And since the attack wasn’t being covered up, taking Tommy to the emergency room wasn’t a threat to any secrets. So that made the decision easy. 

Felicity insisted on going back to the foundry. She wanted to get a lead on Slade before he could disappear again. She also wanted to find Isabel. Nothing Oliver could say could tear her away from her computers and he recognized this was her way of dealing with trauma. She’d be more interested in cuddles and reassurances later, after the initial horror had worn off. 

So, he’d come to the hospital to visit Tommy. The sun was coming up, visiting hours were underway. Tommy had been in surgery since they brought him in but Michelle had texted Felicity a half hour ago that he was out and in recovery and would be moved to a room soon. 

There was something else motivating his decision to go visit Tommy too. He’d had an argument with Diggle and Felicity when they’d gotten back to the foundry. Despite feeling relieved that they’d escaped Slade’s clutches, he was starting to realize that Slade would stop at nothing to burn Oliver’s world to the ground. He was terrified to even contemplate what that man’s next move might be. 

His suggestion to Dig and Felicity had been met with not just opposition but outright anger. 

_“I should give myself up to Slade,” Oliver said as Felicity handed him a cold compress to hold to his jaw._

_“Are you insane?” Dig asked him._

_“Don’t you realize that Slade won’t be happy just to kill you, that he wants you to suffer and he wants to do that by making you watch as he hurts the people you love?” Felicity pointed out, her eyes snapping. “You give yourself up, it doesn’t mean that he forgets the rest of his plans.”_

_“The worst thing you could do is give yourself up,” Dig said. “Our best shot is to fight him, together.”_

_“I can’t lose anyone else, Dig!” Oliver argued._

_“But you will, unless we all hunker down and think through this as a team. This isn’t the time make yourself a martyr, Oliver!” Felicity cried._

Oliver had been irritated, mostly because he knew they were both right. He’d needed to leave, to walk, to clear his head. To talk to someone that wasn’t one of them. 

He was apparently still coming down off the horror of the night. 

A quick ride on his motorcycle had lead him to Starling General Hospital. Right now, he needed to see his friend. Tommy had saved his life every bit as much as Felicity had and he needed to thank him. 

Oliver asked at a nurses station where he could find Tommy Merlyn and was directed to the fourth floor. He was walking down the hallway to Tommy’s room when he saw Michelle just outside the room. She was wearing her scrubs and a white coat and had a clipboard in her hand. 

“Oliver!” she said, surprised and pleased to see him. “I’m so sorry to hear about the attack against your family!”

“Thank you,” he said. He nodded towards the open door to Tommy’s room. “How’s he doing?” 

“Surgery went well. No lasting damage,” she said. “He lost a lot of blood, so he’ll be here for a day or two on fluids and under observation.”

Oliver ducked his head. “I’m glad to hear it. I owe him a debt.”

“He’s quite the hero,” she said, her eyes shining. 

“Is he up to having visitors right now?” he asked, gesturing towards the door. 

“Yes! He’s awake in there and feeling impatient so I know he must be feeling okay,” she said, stepping aside and gesturing Oliver forward. 

“Thanks for taking care of him,” he told her, smiling warmly. 

“It’s my pleasure,” Michelle answered. “He’s a special guy.Tell him I’ll be by later after I visit some patients.”

“Will do,” Oliver promised. 

He entered the hospital room and found Tommy already sitting up in the bed, fighting with the TV remote and looking somewhat frustrated. He was a little pale, wore a thin looking hospital gown and his hair was sticking up in all directions, but other than that, he looked just like himself. That put Oliver’s mind at ease as he stepped further into the room and knocked on the wall to announce himself. 

“I heard the bad news,” Oliver said as Tommy looked up. “Sounds like you’re gonna make it.”

Tommy’s grin rivaled the sun rising through the window in the room. “I tried my best, but I guess it wasn’t good enough.” 

Oliver grabbed a small chair next to the bed and pulled it closer before dropping into it. “You sure scared the rest of us though, so that has to count for something.”

“Well, Slade scared _us_. You should have seen Felicity’s face when she got Thea’s text. I’ve never seen someone go grey before. And then she was just _all_ business. I could barely get her attention, she was so focused on finding you guys.”

Oliver felt another stirring of guilt over what he’d been putting everyone through. “Slade isn’t going to stop now, just because you guys interrupted his plan.”

Tommy nodded seriously. “I know.” 

“I suggested to the team that I give myself up to him before he tries to hurt anyone else.”

Tommy’s eyes went wide as saucers. “You told Dig and Felicity you want to give yourself up to Slade?”

Oliver nodded. “I can’t watch anyone else suffer because of what I did five years ago.”

“Wow. So you told them this. And then you came here.”

“Pretty much.”

“Oh, Ollie.” Tommy lifted a hand to his face, covering his eyes. He chuckled. “I’m going to guess that they yelled at you about this.”

Oliver shifted in his seat. “Yes, a bit.”

“They yelled, Ollie, because they’re frustrated with you. Those two people are in this mission to save the city every bit as much as you are. What’s more, they love _you_. They don’t want to see you give yourself up.”

“I know they love me. I love _them_. That’s why I don’t want to see them get hurt. Isn’t it enough that you nearly died?” Oliver asked. 

Tommy waved a hand. “’Tis but a flesh wound.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re Felicity’s boyfriend and you aren’t familiar with the Holy Grail? For shame. If she hears that, it’s all over.”

Oliver felt a familiar irritation over something Tommy knowing about something that Felicity loved, that he himself knew nothing about. He brushed it aside. “Tommy, I’m being serious here.”

“So am I, Ollie. Don’t throw our affection and your team’s dedication aside just because you’re scared.”

“I’m not—“

Tommy held up a hand. “Please, if you value my intelligence, do not finish that sentence. You are scared and no one blames you for it. Slade Wilson is a fucking scary guy. But giving up to him isn’t you. It’s not how you protect your loved ones or this city.”

Oliver sat back in his chair and nodded. “I know you’re right, but I don’t like sitting here and doing nothing.”

“You’re not doing nothing. Felicity’s looking for this guy, you’re keeping on alert, and the three of you will beat this son of a bitch because that is what you do.”

He should have known his best friend would give him the pep talk he needed instead of letting him wallow in this self pity. “Did Felicity tell you what to say?” he finally asked, feeling just a little peevish. 

That made Tommy laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment, buddy.”

***

The election took place a few days later. Tommy was released from the hospital just in time to attend Moira’s swearing-in alongside Thea, Oliver and Felicity. Dig was also there, in his professional bodyguard capacity. It took place inside the courthouse, in a room full of city officials and journalists marking the occasion. Oliver watched proudly as his mother stood in her fine wool suit and swore to uphold the ideals of their city’s founders. 

He wondered what his father might have thought of this. Regardless of what he’d done during his life, that life ended with him wanting to fix what wrongs he’d done, to save the city. Robert Queen would be proud to see his wife vowing to do that very thing. 

Things took a turn, however, as soon as his mother was sworn in. There was a commotion at the rear of the room, a shout and then the deafening blast of a gun. The crowd erupted in screams and shouts and Oliver instinctively pulled Felicity to the ground while Tommy shielded Thea.He looked up to see his mother’s security detail pulling her down. He made eye-contact with Diggle and the other man nodded and ran out of the room, quick on the heels of the shooter. 

She hadn’t been mayor one full minute and someone already tried to kill her. That was the way of things in this city these days, Oliver knew. But it hadn’t really occurred to him that his mother would be targeted, not for Oliver’s own sins, but simply because she was mayor. 

On the other hand, that felt far too convenient, especially with Slade still in the wind. 

Once Oliver was assured that Felicity and Thea were okay, he checked on his mother. She was a little shaken, but otherwise calm and collected. Her detail took her from the room quickly, leaving the journalists to descend on Oliver and Thea. With Dig gone after the shooter, they were on their own. 

“We need to get out of here,” he said to Felicity and she nodded before passing the message along to Tommy and Thea. They both looked eager to flee. Oliver led the way, pushing through the reporters. Thea and Felicity kept their heads down and Tommy brought up the rear. They rushed through, not answering any questions or pausing for any photographs.

They headed to the foundry; it felt like the safer place to be and it’s where Dig would return, either with or without the shooter in tow. Hopefully _with_ , because Oliver felt a need to put his interrogation skills to good use. 

Thea was rattled when they got to the club and Felicity offered to have a drink with her, to give her something to do as much as it was to settle some nerves. Tommy understood the nod Oliver gave him and joined them. 

Oliver’s phone buzzed with a call from Dig not long after he arrived at the foundry. “Yes?” he answered it. 

“I got the shooter. Headed in now.”

That was his cue. Oliver hung up the phone and went to change into his Arrow gear. Wouldn’t do to reveal himself to this man as the son of the woman he’d just tried to kill. After he was set, he dimmed the lights of the foundry and set a spotlight at one end, where he’d placed a single chair. 

Dig brought the man in through the alley entrance a few minute later. He had a bag over his head which Dig left on while securing him to the chair. Only once the man, a short, stocky individual from the looks of him, was secured, did Dig remove the bag. 

He then stepped away into the shadows, leaving only the Arrow before him in the visible light. Oliver stood, arms folded over his chest, mask firmly in place, hood drawn low over his forehead, casting his lower face in shadow. The man before him was unremarkable, his features common and ordinary. But he did look scared out of his mind. 

Good. 

“Who are you?” Oliver asked, pitching his voice low and threatening. He wasn’t using the modulator, finding what Felicity called his “Arrow voice” to be just as effective, if not more, in these situations. 

“J-Joseph Mercer,” he stammered. 

“Why did you try to kill the mayor of Starling City?” He raised his tone, the gravely words echoing off the basement walls. 

The man was visibly shaking. This wasn’t a defiant criminal, one who thought he would be able to take his information to the grave. It was almost a pity, Oliver thought, that he’d barely have to work to crack this man. 

“Why did you do it!” Oliver demanded, letting his voice crack like a whip over the already intimidated man. 

“I-I was paid!” the man cried. “I tried to refuse but then my family was threatened.”

Oliver paced. That definitely sounded like Slade’s handiwork. The man kept blathering while Oliver circled around him. If he hadn’t just taken a shot at his mother, he might have felt sorry for the guy. 

“Who paid you?” he demanded, not showing a sliver of sympathy. 

“I can’t! He-he’ll…!”

Oliver dropped right in front of him, resting his hands on the arms of the chair, caging the man in. “What do you think _I_ will do?” 

“M-my family!”

Oliver could understand fearing for your family, could understand the lengths that fear made men go to. “When you tell me, I can stop the man who threatened them.”

The bound man looked conflicted and Oliver’s instincts told him to press, to coerce, to _make_ this man talk. But he heard Felicity’s voice in his head, telling him to give the guy a minute. He listened to that voice, but it was a near thing. 

“Blood,” the man finally said, his shoulders slumping in defeat, uttering the one name Oliver had absolutely not expected to hear. “It was Sebastian Blood.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta, @the-silverforked-sky

Sebastian Blood hadn’t disappeared after losing the election to Moira Queen. He was still around, acting as an alderman, being visible to the city. He’d even released a statement expressing concern in the wake of Mayor Queen’s assassination attempt. 

The _nerve_ of that asshole. 

Oliver had fully expected for the shooter to name Slade Wilson or at least someone who they’d learn worked for Slade. But Sebastian Blood? Was the attempt on his mother’s life simply because Blood was ticked he’d lost the election? 

Either way, Oliver needed to pay Sebastian Blood a visit. He went to him that night, dressed in his Arrow gear, voice modulator on, the cover of night giving him the camouflage he needed. He entered Blood’s office as he was packing up for the night, ensuring that he was the only other person there.

He killed the power, as was his custom, and when Blood froze, Oliver engaged his modulator and spoke. “Sebastian Blood, you have failed this city.” 

Sebastian’s eyes widened as he found the silhouette of the Arrow filling the doorway of his office. He backed up until he hit the edge of his desk. “W-what?”

“You hired Roberto Alvarez to assassinate Moira Queen at today’s swearing in.”

Sebastian looked _very_ surprised that he knew that. “I don’t know what he told you but—“

“Don’t lie to me!” Oliver roared. “Did you hire Alvarez to kill Queen because you couldn’t handle losing the election to her?”

Sebastian held a hand up and looked to be trying to regain his composure. It was then that Oliver noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the sallow nature of his cheeks. He looked unrested and unwell, actually. “I can explain.”

“Get talking,” Oliver growled.

Sebastian pushed a hand through his hair and Oliver noticed that he was shaking. “I was given assurances, last summer. It was why I ran for mayor. When Moira Queen entered the race, I was concerned. I went to him with those concerns and was told that he had it under control. But he didn’t because Moira Queen lived and she won the election. Now I— I have nothing.” 

Oliver was struggling to keep up with what with what he was saying. “Who gave you assurances?”

“A man named Slade Wilson. You apprehended him, actually, for the kidnapping of Thea Queen. The police released him but… you were right, it turns out.” Sebastian chuckled mirthlessly.

There it was. Slade had his finger in all the pies in Starling… influencing Isabel and now Sebastian. All to bring Oliver to his knees. It was sick and focused and obsessive. But so far, Slade’s carefully crafted plans hadn’t been working. And the drawn man before him right now was clearly upset and disillusioned. 

“Why would you work with a monster like that?” Oliver asked. 

“I didn’t know he was a monster… at first. He was a businessman and he had a lot of money and a lot of plans. What he said about saving this city made me feel we were on the same page. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do… to help this city.”

“You had to realize his plans weren’t actually in the best interest of the city.”

“Not at first. I think I just wanted to win, to become mayor, so _badly_. I was willing to overlook everything that later became a red flag. The man is unhinged. He’s _crazy_.” 

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Oliver wanted to know. 

“Are you giving me a choice here? You have enough to deliver me to the SCPD right now if you want. In fact, I’m surprised you’re even here, talking to me at all.”

It was a good point. And Oliver was still contemplating handing this sleaze over to the cops, but he wasn’t about to tell him that. “I wanted to know what your game was.”

“My _game_ was saving this city. I had a vision for bringing this city back from the brink and Slade Wilson offered me that opportunity. He was supposed to eliminate Moira for me. You’ve heard about the attack on her and her family. But he botched it so I hired Mr. Alvarez.”

_Shit_. So the night they’d been taken and taunted, the night that Tommy and Felicity had rescued them… it’d been Slade’s plan all along to kill his mother. Setting up that awful scene, mimicking what happened to Shado, that had all been smoke and mirrors concealing his true goal. It made sense; awful, terrible sense. 

“Do you know Slade’s endgame?” Oliver asked. 

Sebastian eyed him. The man couldn’t see under his mask and Oliver was careful to stick to the shadows. Any hints of his identity were well concealed. But for a split second there, he looked at him like he _knew_. “He wants to tear down Oliver Queen. His family, his city, his friends… he only tells me what he thinks I need to hear but I overheard him tell another of his conspirators that he planned to take from him the person he loves the most. Then, he’ll kill him.”

Oliver didn’t know why hearing that bothered him so much, since it was more or less what he’d been expecting. Knowing Slade intended to torch the city added a level to it, a sick level given Oliver’s vocation, but killing whom he loved the most? Yeah. A chill chased down his spine… 

_Felicity_. 

***

Felicity was alone in the foundry, doing her work. She couldn’t _stop_ doing her work because if she stopped, she might miss something and they could not afford for Slade to slip between the cracks right now. After Oliver had left to confront Blood, Felicity had sent Dig back home and Tommy to Michelle’s house. She was tired of having babysitters. If Slade wanted to take her, there was nothing Dig or Tommy or even Oliver could do to stop him. And she was as safe in the foundry basement as anywhere else. 

Well. _Mostly_ safe. Roy’s prone body lying on the med table gave her a major case of the willies. She liked Roy, she really did. But knowing he could wake up, snap, and throw her into a wall at any given moment didn’t exactly fill her with warm fuzzies. The supply of pit viper venom they were using to keep him sedated was running awfully low… 

Working. Yes, working helped calm her mind, keep her focused on the big task at hand. If she stopped working, then all the awful things would catch up with her. Certainly that moment at the courthouse when she’d heard those shots ring out would feature in her dreams for months to come. There’d been that breathless moment where no one knew what was going on. And then Oliver surrounded her, bearing her to the floor, covering her body with his. 

That was something too. Seeing his protective instinct kick in like that, featuring _her_ … She should be used to it by now but it’d never felt quite like _that_. 

The door beeped and slammed, announcing Oliver’s arrival. He strode in and slammed his bow into its display case. She turned in her chair to watch him, noting the sour expression he wore. 

“Uh oh. You’ve got angry face,” she said. 

“You would too,” he told her. His hood was down, his mask resting around his neck. Felicity tried not to get too distracted at the sight of him in the Arrow suit but hood down… something about that particular look thrilled her in a very predictable way. Was it because it reminded her of the night she was taken by the Count? Entirely possible. She’d had a lot of fantasies about Oliver in the suit after that night, even with them together. 

“What happened with Blood? He’s the one who hired Alvarez, right?” she asked. 

“Yes, but I learned it goes so much deeper than that.” He sighed heavily as he dropped into the other chair and rolled it over to where she was sitting. “It turns out, Blood has been working with Slade.” 

Felicity nearly fell over. “Are you kidding me? For how long?”

“Since the beginning. Of this year, at least. By the time I came back from Lian Yu with you guys, at least. Just like he used Isabel at QC, he was using Blood to take over the city.”

“Frack,” she muttered. “That’s diabolical.”

He nodded. “What’s more, he said Slade intends to kill whomever I love the most. So I’m going to assume there’s a pretty big target on your back.”

Felicity noticed the almost apologetic look on his face. “Hey. We sort of knew that was going to be the case, right? So that’s no big surprise. We’ll deal with it, just like we’ve dealt with everything else.”

“Yeah, but I’m definitely not letting you out of my sight now,” he told her. She thought that might end up being rather hard to maintain but didn’t want to tell him that right now when he seemed so… _rattled_. 

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from you,” she replied easily. 

“You’re not going to fight me on it?” he asked, sounding surprised. 

She shrugged. “I’m not interested in fighting with you anymore, Oliver.”

He blew out a breath. “That’s good. Because it sounds like we’re going to be doing a lot of other fighting here soon. Blood also told me that he learned Slade intends to lay waste to the city.”

Felicity groaned, letting her head fall back. “Let me guess, that’s what the new mirakuru army he created is for.”

“Sounds like a safe bet.” 

“Well… _frack_. How do we beat that?”

“We hope the cure comes through in time. Any word from STAR Labs on that, by the way?”

Felicity shook her head. “I’ll give a call to Caitlin though, let them know that sooner is better than later.”

“Good idea.” Oliver sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’d feel better if Sara was back here with Nyssa by now.”

“I’m sure she’s on her way.” Felicity regarded Oliver. He was tense and practically radiating unhappiness and stress. He needed a break, a vacation, some time away to calm his soul after all this horror. 

As she watched him, she had a thought. They were alone in the foundry for the moment. Dig would be back soon and so would Sara. Possibly with a whole team of assassins ready to fight for them. Roy was here but he was checked out. She’d just dosed him so he was out for the count for the foreseeable future. They _were_ , for all practical intents and purposes, alone. And Oliver could really use a little stress relief.

She got up from her chair and came around behind Oliver’s. He was still rubbing his temples but let out a groan and dropped his hands when she started to knead his shoulders. Finding it hard to do much good through the thick leather of his Arrow gear, she moved around to unzip the jacket and pull it down his arms. She folded it and set it aside before getting back to work. She found a knot right away, right between his shoulder blades, and used her thumbs to gently work it loose. 

When she felt the muscle finally release, she moved her hands around over his chest. He still wore his long sleeved lycra shirt, which provided him an extra layer of warmth and protection underneath the leathers. The stretchy fabric clung to his muscles and she could feel those muscles ripple a little as her touch changed from therapeutic to something else altogether. 

“Felicity,” he said, drawing out the syllables. “What are you doing?”

“Looking to relieve some of your tension,” she murmured. She straightened up and spun his chair around. Oliver went with it, keeping his eyes on her. 

“What if someone walks in?” he asked her. She thought it was interesting that he brought that up, instead of the fact that they had other things to worry about right now. Which told her he was absolutely in the right sort of mind for _this_ right now. 

“Then they’re going to get an eye-full,” Felicity replied. Clearly, that was the right answer. Oliver’s eyes darkened as she moved her hands down his body, and over his thighs, as she settled on her knees before him. 

“Here,” he murmured, handing her the folded up Arrow jacket from the table next to him. She smiled at his thoughtfulness all while her heart raced at using his suit to cushion her as she gave him a blow job. There was something poetic about that. 

Felicity took her time as she unzipped his leather pants. She kept her eyes on his, blue burning into blue, as she deliberately stroked her fingers along the zip. His nostrils flared as he breathed deep. She tapped his thigh gently, a request for him to lift up so she could pull his pants and boxers down. Oliver complied readily, still watching her. 

Hooking her fingers in the waistband of his leathers as well as his boxers, Felicity tugged the garments down. She debated for a moment letting them rest around his knees but if she did, they would get in her way. She wanted to get up close and personal with one of her favorite parts of the man she loved. So she unlaced his boots and drew those off first before continuing to pull down his leathers and his boxers. 

Oliver just merely raised an eyebrow. His lips twitched a little at the corners, showing his amusement. She knew he was thinking about what this would look like if anyone, Dig namely, came walking in. Well, it would look like exactly what it was. Her giving her boyfriend head. That added a bit of a thrill to the whole thing and she was surprised by how much it excited her to think about being caught. 

Once she’d tossed his leathers and underwear aside, Felicity settled her knees on the cushion of his jacket between his spread legs, running her fingertips up his shins and up over his knees. She knew it drove him crazy when she drew it out like this. The first time she’d really taken her time with him, his response had been so protracted, so _explosive_ , that Felicity wondered if any woman had really ever done that for him before. He’d had so much experience, but she suspected that a lot of it was casual and even the partners he’d had that weren’t… that maybe no one had ever just taken their time to take care of him. Which was kind of sad, but Felicity was determined to set a new standard for him. He deserved it. 

Felicity had a technique to fellatio. Not that she’d given a lot of blow jobs over the years, but she’d put what experience she had to good use, learning what men really tended to like. And, in her experience, most men seemed to like the same things, with slight variations based on the guy’s tastes. Her first boyfriend from high school really liked to have his tip blown on. That would often send him over the edge (which lead to her getting nailed in the eye with his cum one time). Her boyfriend in college, Cooper, had really liked when she’d run her nails along his thighs while she went down on him. But he didn’t like it the time she’d tried to deep throat him, believe it or not. 

Her love life had dried up a bit when she moved to Starling, but that was mostly her own doing. After Cooper, her heart just hadn’t been in it. She’d thrown herself into her work life and that was enough. But she had gone on a few dates and had slept with one of those dates a few times before awkwardly calling off the burgeoning relationship. His name had been Ken, he’d worked at QC too. When she’d gone down on him, she learned that he liked her to use a bit of teeth. That had made her feel kind of dangerous, in a very good way. 

Oliver was different altogether. He really liked when she hummed with his dick in her mouth; the further in, the better. He also liked his balls to be stroked and squeezed. But mostly, he just _really liked_ her mouth on him. He was shy about asking for it, but Felicity knew that when he was tense, it was the best way to make him feel good. 

She placed some soft kisses along the tops of his thighs. As she neared his groin, she avoided his cock which was rapidly stiffening and instead placed a lingering buss on the tender skin next to that most crucial area. He shuddered, making her smile. She used her fingers then, stroking along his legs some more before drawing them slowly over his scrotum. The skin there was so soft… she’d never really explored this area on any other guy she’d ever slept with but with Oliver, it felt normal and natural to know all the parts of him, especially what made him moan in pleasure. 

She could see him relaxing under her ministrations, how he sunk into the chair, how his eyes became soft while they still held hers. His dick, on the other hand, was definitely not relaxed and was standing tall, bobbing towards his abdomen, yearning for her attention. 

Felicity was more than happy to give that attention. 

She brush her fingertips along the rigid shaft, tracing the thick vein on the underside, circling around the fat, sensitive head. She rubbed her index finger lightly over the slit, collecting the precum that had beaded up there. Lifting her finger to her mouth, she sucked the digit in, tasting him. Then, she lowered her head and licked at the head, circling her tongue around it, paying extra attention on the most sensitive parts. 

Oliver was moaning now, the sounds echoing off the walls of the foundry. It was music to her ears. The sounds emboldened her and she lowered herself over more of his dick, letting him slide back on her tongue. She held the base of his cock firmly in one hand while she pressed against his shaft with her tongue, drawing back up the length until the head rested on her lips. 

Her eyes still held his. 

His lips were parted and his eyes dark, his eyelids heavy. His chest rose and fell with his quick breaths. She held there for a long moment and finally, she heard what she wanted to hear… 

“Please…”

Grinning, she lowered her head once more. This time, she engulfed him into her mouth. She hadn’t tried to deep throat since Cooper, but she wanted to try with Oliver. She’d taken him deep, but not _that_ deep. She’d read some online articles about it, knew what to do. 

She worked him slowly and surely, coating his shaft with saliva and precum, using her hand to squeeze and pump him until he was lifting his hips unconsciously. On each pass she took him deeper until… he hit the back of her throat. Oliver swore lowly and his face was flushed. Felicity focused on relaxing her throat as she moved down over him again and this time, the head of his cock slid into her throat. She breathed through her nose, held for a moment and then drew back up. 

She pressed her hands into his hips, holding him steady as she moved down again and this time… this time her nose bumped into his abdomen. He was in her throat and she took a breath through her nose and then… swallowed. 

“Fuck!” he cried, straining to lift his hips. “Felicity!” 

She drew up, but only a little, only enough to give her a moment to breathe again before she pressed back down and did it again. And again. Soon, he was moaning her name over and over again like a litany. 

“I’m gonna—“ He bit off the end of his sentence, gritting his teeth together. 

Felicity lifted off him long enough to smile and say, “Let go. Let me taste you.” 

He almost never let himself finish in her mouth. It’d only happened once before and while he hadn’t said so, she thought it wasn’t intentional. He liked to finish inside her, buried to the hilt inside her welcoming body, sweat making their flesh slip against each other. But Felicity wanted him to release into her mouth, down her throat. She wanted to swallow him down, every drop. 

So she sucked harder, swallowing more, humming around him and rolling his balls in one of her hands, stroking and tugging and rubbing in time with her movements. He was getting close, she could tell from the stuttered breathing, his gasps and the way his entire body was tensing up. She could feel the coiled energy in him and she caught his eye one more time. 

And then he exploded. She swallowed him down, taking him into her throat one more time as he released in hot, heavy spurts. It was amazing and Felicity felt almost lightheaded from the sheer eroticism of watching him come so utterly undone like this, because of _her_. It felt like power. But more than that, it felt like love. Because seeing him shatter like that, trust her with that vulnerability, meant more than she could ever tell him. She loved his man and she would never get tired of showing him just how much. 

She released him as he softened, placing a soft kiss to his sensitive head. Then, she pulled up his boxers and leathers. He didn’t move for a long moment, however, and she rested her head on his leg for a moment. Her jaw was sore but it was so, so worth it. A moment later, she felt his fingers playing with her ponytail. 

“Thank you,” he rasped. 

“Do you feel better?” she asked. 

“Like you don’t even know.”

They sat like that for a while until, finally, Oliver shifted, and when Felicity lifted her head, he lifted his hips, pulling his boxers and pants back up. Then, he stood, drawing Felicity up with him. She bent to retrieve his jacket and he accepted it from her, dipping his head to press a kiss to her lips. 

“I love you,” he told her. 

“I love you, too.”

Timing was on their side for once, when Dig arrived ten minutes later. Felicity had gone to the bathroom to straighten her ponytail and reapply her lipstick. Oliver righted his gear, zipping his jacket back on. By the time their friend and partner arrived, there was no indication that anything unsavory had taken place. Still, he gave them a look as though he knew exactly what they’d done. Felicity just grinned at Oliver though, and he grinned back.

Then, the alley door opened. The three of them were shocked for a long moment until they saw who it was. It was Sara and behind her was Nyssa and about ten dark hooded assassins. 

“Reporting for duty,” their friend said, smiling. 

“You have no idea how happy we are to see you,” Felicity told her.“Even your… friends.” 

She hadn’t met Nyssa face to face yet and found it a little disconcerting how the woman studied her as though she were a bug under a microscope for a long moment. Then, she stepped forward. “I am Nyssa al Ghul, Heir to the Demon,” she introduced herself, her almond eyes glittering with what might be amusement or bloodlust. 

Felicity swallowed and notched her chin. “Felicity Smoak, MIT class of ’09.” 

That made the assassin smile, so Felicity considered that a win. 

“Now, Ollie, tell us where you need us,” Sara said. 

Oliver nodded and smiled before getting Sara and her “crew” caught up on what was happening. 

***

Oliver called everyone to the mansion, including Tommy and his mother and Thea. Dig called in Lyla. Oliver had called his mother after his conversation with Blood and suggested she announce a curfew for the night, in hopes of limiting the casualties. She’d done so without really knowing why, but it showed how much she trusted in her son that she didn’t press for details right then. 

Later, at the mansion as everyone gathered there, was a different story. 

“What is going on, Oliver?” she asked as she walked in with Thea. 

“Slade Wilson is trying to take over the city and burn it to the ground. He wants to destroy everyone and everything,” Oliver said. “I need you two to leave town.”

Thea looked alarmed and Moira looked resigned. “You think it’s come to that?”

Oliver nodded. “Slade will be making his move any minute now and I need to know that you two are safe. It will help me fight him if I’m not worrying about you.”

That seemed to make an impression. Moira nodded. “We’ll take the train to Coast City,” she said. “We still have that vacation home there, we can stay for a day or two but then I’ll need to be back here as the Mayor.”

“I’m hoping to end this thing tonight,” Oliver told her. 

“Maybe Michelle and I should go too,” Tommy suggested. “I wish I could fight but I would probably only be in the way. Plus, I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

Felicity smiled at him. “That’s a good idea. Getting her out safe is being a hero, Tommy.”

“What about Roy?” Thea wanted to know. “Is he—?”

“He’s still sedated downstairs,” Felicity told her. “We’re waiting for a cure to be sent up from Central City. I got a text from Caitlin just a while ago saying they were sending a courier up here with it.”

“Once we get the cure, we’ll administer it to Roy. When we see that it works, we’ll distribute it to Slade’s army,” Oliver finished. 

“You don’t know if it’ll work? What if it doesn’t?” Thea cried. 

“It’ll work,” Oliver assured her. Felicity knew he wasn’t as sure about that as he sounded. 

“You need to go now,” Felicity urged. “There’s no telling when Slade will move, or if he has already.”

Moira seemed to understand the urgency. “We’ll go right now then,” she said. 

That seemed to settle Oliver. He embraced his mother and sister and Felicity watched on with wet eyes. She hoped they would be okay. Oliver deserved to have his family whole and safe. Regardless of what Slade said. 

They went upstairs to pack, promising to have Moira’s security detail with her at all times. Lyla wanted to know what she could do. Dig asked her to go to Waller and ARGUS and see what they had planned and if they could send any help at all. Lyla nodded and went into another room to place a call to Waller in privacy. 

Oliver was standing by the fireplace and he had an odd look on his face. Felicity walked over to him, touching his arm. “What is it?” she asked. 

He gestured with a finger but didn’t say anything. It was a very subtle movement from him and it confused her… until she looked to where he’d just gestured. 

There, affixed just underneath the mantle of the fireplace, was a tiny camera. She looked to Oliver and he nodded. As he spoke with Tommy and Dig, Felicity started moving through the room, looking for more cameras. She found another by the windows and then another out in the entryway of the mansion, near the staircase. There had to be dozens more. And they had to be Slade’s. 

He’d bugged the mansion? He’d been spying on Moira this whole time? When had he planted these cameras? Felicity remembered meeting Slade here at the mansion weeks ago, how abrupt and alarming that whole thing was. After the incident, she’d wondered why he’d come there at all, thinking it was just to rattle Oliver. But he’d also, apparently, come to plant these cameras throughout the house. 

She wondered what all he’d seen and was again glad that she’d been so reluctant to stay at the mansion the last few months. 

The burner cell that Oliver carried rang and Felicity returned to his side. “It’s Lance,” he said just before he answered, the modulator embedded in the phone active to disguise his voice. 

“Yes, Detective?”

He listened for a moment, the line of his lips thinning. “Stay safe, lock down the precinct. I’ll do what I can.”

He hung up and turned to Tommy, her and Dig. “Slade has made his move. He’s got his army all over the city, from the reports coming in, taking buildings and hostages. No reports of killings yet but I’m sure that’s coming. There’s one at the precinct and they have themselves barricaded in. Felicity, can you send a message to Sara for her and Nyssa to head over there and take care of it.”

“Already on it,” she said, her fingers flying over her phone as she tapped out a quick text. 

Lyla strode back into the room, a grim expression in place. “Waller is on full offense. She’s sending in troops but not to fight Slade’s army, rather, to keep them from leaving the city.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed in confusion. Tommy looked even more confused than him. Dig didn’t look confused, though he did look upset. 

“Why is she doing that?” Felicity asked. 

Dig sighed. “She’s putting Starling on quarantine.”

Well, _that_ didn’t sound good. “Quarantine?” she asked. 

Dig and Lyla exchanged a heavy look. “Sounds like she intends to bring a drone strike to Starling, take out Slade and his men that way.”

Felicity looked at Oliver, alarmed. “She’s going to bomb the city?”

Oliver’s jaw tightened. “If we stop Slade, will she call it off?” 

Lyla looked a little helpless. She looked to Dig. “Amanda Waller is hard to call off once she has a mind to do something.”

“Then we go down there,” Dig said. “You and I and we’ll use the Suicide Squad to help us. She has to listen to us if we go in there and overpower her.”

“That’s a huge gamble,, Johnny,” Lyla warned. 

“I know, but this is our city. We can’t let her bomb it. Let’s give Oliver and the others a chance to get this guy first.”

Lyla nodded and Oliver relaxed a little. “Okay, you guys go do that. Stay in contact. I want to know what’s going on.”

“Will do.” With a quick hug for Felicity and a handshake for Oliver, Dig and Lyla left, leaving Tommy and Oliver and Felicity. 

That’s when Felicity’s cell rang. She answered it and found it was the courier from STAR Labs with the cure. “Let’s go meet them,” Oliver said. He looked to Tommy. “Are you going to be okay?”

Tommy nodded. “I’ll take a gun with me. I’ll be in touch, let you know when Michelle and I make it out okay.”

Felicity gave him a tight hug, holding on for a long time. “Stay safe, Tommy.”

“You too. I’d feel better if you were leaving too.”

“Don’t start,” she said with a laugh. 

“I’ll make sure she’s safe,” Oliver promised. He embraced his friend and they both watched, a little apprehensive, as Tommy walked out of the room. Then, they looked to each other. 

“Okay, let’s go do this thing.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver, Felicity and the team rush to save the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shoutout to my beta, @the-silverforked-sky.

Felicity’s heart was racing as she clung to Oliver’s back. He navigated his Ducati smoothly through the streets. Streets that were looking more and more like a war zone with each passing minute. Cars were on fire, people were rushing to get away from the masked men who were terrorizing anyone they came across. 

Slade’s men were spread all over the city, and people had been falling all over themselves to get away. The Ducati made it easy for them to weave through the bottlenecked traffic and to evade the masked predators. The STAR Labs courier had been stuck in the jam of cars trying to flee the city, who still didn’t know that Waller’s soldiers were blocking all the street routes out of the city. They’d managed to intercept the courier and collect the briefcase containing the vials of mirakuru cure. Oliver had instructed the man to get to shelter and wait out the siege; the frightened courier more than happy to oblige. 

Just as the man had scurried off the roadway, opting to take refuge in a nearby building, several of Slade’s goons arrived, most probably to capture them. Oliver was in street clothes, had no weapon handy, so they had no option but to get on the bike and take off for the foundry as quick as they could. Felicity clutched the precious briefcase between their bodies as she held on tightly to Oliver. 

She had never been so glad to see the old steel factory come into view. Most of the chaos hadn’t reached this part of the Glades yet and they were able to park the bike and run inside without anyone seeing them. 

Once inside, Felicity opened the case and inspected the bright blue vials of liquid. “I hope this works,” she murmured, attaching one of the vials to a hydraulic needle. 

“You and me both,” Oliver said. He took the syringe from Felicity and walked over to Roy’s prone body. He’d been knocked out for several days now and there was no telling what damage might have been done to him by all that toxin in his system. Felicity bit her lip and prayed that the cure would work. It had to work. It was their only hope right now. 

She watched as Oliver injected Roy in the shoulder. There was no reaction. He set the syringe aside and Felicity paced. “When will we know if it works?” she asked. 

“I have no idea.” He moved back to the briefcase. “Let’s set these vials up with injection arrows while we wait.” The unspoken “just in case the cure works” lingered in the air between them. 

“I’ll get started while you get changed into your gear,” Felicity said. 

He looked over his shoulder at Roy. “What if he—“

“I have a vial of venom here, just in case. Go!” She shooed him and he grinned as he walked off to the bathroom to get changed. When he returned, he joined her. Felicity kept quiet as she got to work. They were a smoothly oiled machine, working together, passing materials between them and creating dozens upon dozens of arrows fitted with the cure. What they _hoped_ was the cure. 

The silence in the basement was oppressive. Which was why when Roy gasped on the table behind them, Felicity screamed, jumping about a mile in the air. Oliver rushed to his side, ready to inject him with more venom if it became apparent that the cure didn’t work. 

Felicity, with her hand over her racing heart, stepped up to the table. Roy was awake and he looked… confused. “What am I doing here?” he asked. 

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Oliver asked him in reply. 

Roy blinked a few times and his brow furrowed. “I was working late at Verdant with Thea, closing up. Then I left to walk home. That’s the last thing I recall.”

“How do you feel?” Felicity wanted to know. 

“Tired,” Roy admitted. Oliver helped him sit up and she noticed how the younger man winced. 

Oliver met her eyes and she nodded. “Roy, why don’t you try hitting the training dummy, hard as you can.”

Roy scoffed at him. “I’ll splinter it. The last time I did that, Felicity yelled at me.”

“I won’t yell this time,” she told him. “I promise.”

He hopped down off the table and walked over to the mats, where the training dummy was set up. Felicity stood back, chewing her thumb and watching. Oliver stood between her and Roy. _Just in case._

“Give it all you got, Roy,” Oliver instructed. 

Roy planted his feet, focused his stance, pulled back his fist and… The dummy shook with his blow but it remained intact. Felicity blew out a breath and she could see Oliver’s shoulders relax. Roy looked beyond confused. 

“What the hell??” 

“We gave you a cure, Roy,” Oliver said, walking over and clapping the young man on the shoulder. 

“A cure? For what?” His eyes widened. “The mirakuru??”

Felicity nodded. “And it looks like it worked.”

The smile that bloomed over Roy’s features was breathtaking. “Does this mean I’m no longer a danger? To Thea or anyone else?”

Oliver smiled back. “No more than you already were.”

“Oh… thank _god_.”

“But now we need your help,” Felicity said. Quickly, she filled Roy in on what Slade was up to. 

“And if you’re going to join me, you’re going to need this,” Oliver said, presenting Roy with a small box. 

He opened it and inside was a red mask, just like the green mask Oliver wore with his gear. Roy looked stunned as he picked it up and held it. 

“It’s not a full suit, not yet. But we’ll work on that.”

Sara returned just then, this time with just Nyssa in tow. It was on the tip of Felicity’s tongue to ask where the other assassins were but then she realized, she didn’t want to know. As long as they were helping protect this city tonight, she didn’t really care. 

“So what’s the plan now?” Sara asked after letting them know that the police station was now secure. The captain had been killed in the scuffle, but Quentin was standing in and organizing the other cops. 

“Now, we take this fight to them,” Oliver said. “Slade’s army is coalescing near the tunnel out of the city, hoping to overpower the ARGUS soldiers there. I say we meet them there, beat them back. We have enough of the cure to neutralize all of them.”

“And what about Slade?” Roy asked. 

Felicity spoke up. “We need to force a confrontation with him,” she said. 

“How am I going to be able to get the cure past his armor?” Oliver asked her. “There’s no way he’ll let me get close enough to inject him without using an arrow.”

A thought occurred to Felicity. And she didn’t know whether it was genius or foolhardy. But either way, it might be their best hope. Their _only_ hope. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked her. “That look on your face is making me nervous.”

“That’s because you’re not going to like my idea,” Felicity predicted. 

“Let’s hear it,” Sara said. 

“We aren’t in any position to be picky right now,” Roy pointed out.

Felicity glanced at Oliver first. “I was thinking, we could use those cameras at the mansion to lure Slade out. You said he wants to kill the one you love the most, right?”

“Yes, but I am _not_ okay with using you as bait, Felicity,” he growled. 

“But don’t you see how this might be our best chance to get close to him, to defeat him?”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you saying that you want him to take you so you can stick him with the cure??”

“That’s actually a great idea,” Sara said. 

“Thank you,” Felicity replied to her. Nyssa just smiled, looking distinctly feline. She inclined her head towards Felicity, which she supposed was a gesture of respect. Or, at least, she hoped it was. 

“It’s a terrible idea!” Oliver cried. “He could _kill_ you.”

Felicity took his hand and squeezed it. “Slade wants you to see him kill me, remember? He won’t do it without you there. Until you’re there, I’m as safe as houses.”

“Safe as houses… what does that even mean?” Roy asked. 

“And then what?” Oliver wanted to know, ignoring Roy. “How can I save you when Slade has you, even if I am there?”

“I’ll have the cure in a syringe. I’ll keep it in my pocket. When you arrive, I’ll jam it into him, where the armor doesn’t cover him.”

“What if he searches your pockets when you are taken?” Nyssa asked. Oliver looked pleased to have someone at least slightly on his side. 

“Slade doesn’t view me as a threat. Even that night he had you and your family, he didn’t take me seriously when I shot at him. I’m just an IT girl, a nerd with glasses, and I don’t think he’s going to stop seeing me like that. He sees me as weak and vulnerable. He’d never suspect I had the cure. This is a gambit that Slade would never even suspect you to play. It’s unthinkable.”

“Plus, does he even know that we have it? Does he know to even look for it?” Sara asked.

Oliver looked pensive. “I don’t think he does.”

“We can use the cameras he placed at the mansion to draw his attention to me, and he’ll be able to see you leave me there, alone. Its perfect.”

“How can I fight, knowing you’re being taken by Slade’s goons? What if they hurt you?” he asked, his eyes pained. 

Felicity cupped his jaw and raised up on her tippy toes. He dipped his head to meet her lips in a quick but soft kiss. “They won’t hurt me. And you’ll fight because you have to. You have to save this city. That’s what all this—“ she gestured at the foundry around them—“is for.”

Oliver didn’t look happy about it but he grudgingly nodded.Sara was already loading up on syringes and cure-filled arrows. She gave some to Nyssa and Roy, then nodded at Oliver. “Just say the word, we’re ready to go. Nyssa’s men will meet us at the tunnel.”

He sighed. “I will take Felicity over to the mansion and then meet you there.”

As she left with Oliver, climbing onto the back of his Ducati again, Felicity fought the rising anxiety she was feeling. Putting herself in Slade’s crosshairs was insane. But, on the other hand, if it was the best chance they had to save this city, she couldn’t see herself backing away from the opportunity. This was her chance to really step up and save her city, keeping the people she loves safe.

***

Things at the Starling City train station were quickly devolving. Men in masks were filling the station and the train platform, terrorizing would-be travelers. So far, Moira and Thea had done a pretty good job of escaping notice. But it was only a matter of time before one of those masked madmen saw them.

“Do you think we should call Ollie?” Thea asked her mother. 

Moira shook her head. “He’s got enough on his plate. Let’s just get some place where we can hide.”

Thea wondered if they could make it back out to where they’d parked the car. Judging from the escalating pandemonium around them, she suspected they wouldn’t. They _could_ , however, lock themselves in the ladies room and try to wait it out. Taking her mother’s hand, Thea led her around the sides of the room, trying to stay low, headed towards where the signs pointed out the restrooms. 

They were just about there when a man in a mask stepped in front of them. “Going somewhere?” he said, his voice muffled slightly by the horrific mask he wore. 

Thea pushed her mother behind her. “W-we need to use the restroom.”

“No… I’ve got something else in mind for you two…” He advanced menacingly on them but then stopped suddenly, freezing in his tracks. 

She and her mother both let out a cry as the man fell forward, landing right at their feet. An enormous black arrow stuck out of his back. Thea looked up to see… Malcolm Merlyn. 

She had to blink a few times, not trusting her own eyes. But it was Tommy’s father… _her_ father… standing there in black leather armor, holding a bow. He grinned at her. 

“Hello, daughter,” he greeted. 

“Malcolm,” her mother hissed. Thea was startled for a moment that her mother didn’t seem all that surprised to see Malcolm standing in front of them. 

“We don’t have time for any fancy reunions. This guy will be up in a few minutes, so let’s get a move on,” Malcolm said, gesturing at them to follow him. 

What choice did they have? It was him or the murderous enhanced super-soldiers at this moment. They followed Malcolm out onto the train platform which was blessedly empty of anyone, either panicking travelers or Slade’s goons. 

He seemed to be leading them away from the station so Thea stopped. “Wait… where are we going?”

“Away from this city, Thea. It’s not safe for you.” He glanced at Moira. “Either of you.”

“So kind of you to include me, Malcolm,” Moira said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Why should I believe I’m any safer with you?” Thea asked. 

“Because I’m your father.” Malcolm looked slightly confused. “I thought she knew about this, Moira.”

“She does know about it. But she also knows who you are and what you’ve done.”

“And, can we back up a minute? How are you _alive_?” Thea wanted to know. 

“It’s a long story and you wouldn’t understand,” Malcolm said, tilting his head to the side. “Now can we get out of here before you both get yourselves killed?”

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you!” Thea protested. “You killed 503 people!”

“It’s not safe here, Thea. I’m not leaving this open for discussion.”

“Malcolm, if she doesn’t want to—“

He cut her mother off, lifting up a hand sharply. “Moira, this doesn’t concern you. You don’t have to join me, but Thea will. It’s for her own good.”

“I get to decide what’s for my own good, not you!”

“I am your father!” Malcolm shouted. 

“By blood, only!”

He reached for her arm, intending to grab her and Thea dodged him. He lunged again but a figure jumped between them. 

It was Tommy. He held a gun up, pointed directly at Malcolm. “Stay away from my sister,” he said, his voice low and threatening. 

“Tommy!” Malcolm said, smiling as though he hadn’t just tried to grab her and run for the hills. “Lovely to see you.”

“Can’t say the same, _father_ ,” Tommy said coldly. Thea glanced around and saw Michelle, Tommy’s new girlfriend, standing off to the side, looking vaguely alarmed. 

“Stand aside, son. Or come with us. Even better. I can keep you both safe.”

“We’re doing just fine on our own,” Tommy told him. “And we have Team Arrow to look out for us too.”

Malcolm scoffed. “Oliver can’t keep you safe.” He paused and with dramatic flair, swept his hand over his mouth in mock innocence. “Oh! Did I give something away?”

Only Michelle looked confused by what he’d said and he almost visibly deflated.

“No, you didn’t,” Moira muttered. Thea felt like giving her mother a high five. 

“If you won’t come with me, I’ll have to leave you here,” Malcolm threatened. 

“So go!” Thea said. “We don’t want you and I’m certainly not going with you.”

“You’ll regret that decision.”

“Somehow, I doubt it.” Thea turned on her heel and strode to where Michelle was standing. 

“Hey, Thea,” she greeted her, smiling a little nervously. 

“Hey, Michelle. Nice night for a train ride?” Thea had always been good at faking nonchalance in tense situations. 

Michelle snorted at that. “Doesn’t seem like it. Uhm… is this sort of thing _normal_ around here?”

“Lately?” Thea asked. Then she shrugged. “Yeah, kinda.”

“Okay. Maybe I should take some self-defense classes then.”

She smirked. She liked this woman. “Maybe I’ll join you.”

“Well, ladies, are we ready to move on?” Tommy asked, joining them. Moira was next to him. Thea scanned around the train platform but didn’t see Malcolm anywhere. 

“Where’d he go?” she asked. 

“Slithered off into the night from whence he came,” Tommy snarked. “Good riddance, too.”

“Do you think we’ll ever find out why he’s not dead?” She knew she’d hate what she would find out but it was the sort of thing that made a person wonder. 

“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” her mother said, a little sarcastically. “Now where are we going? Coast City still?” She looked to Michelle then and smiled. “There’s plenty of room.”

“I don’t think we’re getting out of Starling tonight. But I’ll take you guys someplace safe. Just stick with me,” Tommy told them. 

“Our hero,” Michelle said, linking arms with him as they walked off the platform and towards the parking lot. Thea and her mother followed. The train station was a bust and she knew that her brother, both of them, would stop at nothing to keep her safe. 

***

Oliver pulled his Ducati up in front of the Queen mansion and helped Felicity climb off the back. The windows were dark; Moira and Thea had left for the train station long ago. She hoped they’d gotten to safety. Felicity didn’t mention it to Oliver because the last thing he needed right now was to be worrying about his family. He was already twisted up enough worrying about _her_. 

He led her inside the mansion and she went over what they needed to portray here in her head. Mostly… her importance to Oliver and the fact that she’d be alone. Sounded pretty cut and dry. And she’d rather focus on _that_ right now, rather than what was coming after Oliver left her here. 

The entry was dark and Oliver didn’t make any move to turn on the lights. Moonlight streamed in through the enormous windows above the staircase, illuminating everything. Felicity’s stomach twisted with worry. 

“Oliver, what are we doing here?” Felicity asked him, playing her part. 

He turned to face her. “You need to stay here.”

“What? Why? You can’t just ask me to—“

“I’m not asking.” Felicity blinked at the hardness on his face. He was pretty good at acting this out. That or he was really rather angry with her, which wouldn’t do a great job at selling their love to Slade, would it? “I will come and get you when this is over.”

“No!” she cried automatically, chasing after him as he moved towards the doors. “You can’t just order me around, Oliver, or lock me away when I need to be out there, helping you and the team. The city needs us, all of us, and that includes me.”

“I need you to be safe.” His voice and expression softened a bit. Maybe he should try out for community theater after this was all said and done. 

“I want to be with you,” she insisted. “And the others. Unsafe!”

“I can’t let that happen, Felicity,” he told her. 

She stepped closer to him. “Oliver, tell me what you’re thinking.”

The moon lit up his face beautifully. Wearing the Arrow gear, but with his hood down, he’d never looked more like the perfect representation of everything she knew and loved about him. It was breathtaking. 

“I love you, Felicity. I love you so much I can hardly think straight with it.” He reached for her hand, squeezing it. “For so many years, I thought Laurel was the love of my life. But now I see that I didn’t really know love because I hadn’t met you yet. You changed everything for me. And I can’t bear to see you hurt or taken by Slade because of me. I need to know that you’re safe so I can protect this city.”

Felicity blinked back tears. “Do you mean all that?” she whispered, hoping but daring to believe that it wasn’t just some grand declaration. 

“With all my heart,” he answered. He bent towards her and paused, looking deep into her eyes. She met him the rest of the way, pressing forward until their lips met. She grabbed onto his sleeve, feeling the cool leather underneath her fingertips and she tightened her grip as Oliver deepened the kiss. 

He nipped at her lips and she opened willingly for him, tangling her tongue with his, drinking in his flavor. Her knees felt week, just like they always did when he kissed her. His lips were firm, his hands were steady where he held her, and his tongue was wicked and promising, all at once. 

Her toes were curling in her boots and she wanted to stay here, cocooned in this moment, forever. In Oliver’s arms was the only place she wanted to be just then, if she could only ignore the world outside. If only the city wasn’t crumbling around them, if only Slade wasn’t lurking and waiting to destroy Oliver’s life, if only enhanced super soldiers weren’t rampaging around the city…

When he released her, she breathed against his lips for a long moment before murmuring, “After this we’re taking a vacation together.”

Oliver chuckled. “It’s a deal.” 

She felt something press into her other hand where she’d been gripping his hip. _The syringe_. She took it and slipped it into her pocket and then smiled into his eyes. “I love you so much, Oliver Queen.”

He always looked so amazed to hear her say it. She needed to say it every day, because it was true and he needed to hear it. He dipped his head for another quick peck, firm and chaste but needed before they parted. 

Reluctantly, he drew away from her and this time, she let him go. As much as she wanted to grab him and hold him and keep him close to her, she had to let him go. He backed away, fixing her with a stern look. “Stay here. I will be back for you.”

Felicity crossed her heart with a fingertip, making him shake his head a little, smiling fondly. Then, his eyes grew dark and serious. 

“Be careful.” 

How she could actively control how things went from here, she had no idea, but she understood what he was saying. He wanted her to know that he needed her safe, that he would come for her, that as long as they stuck to the plan, this could _work_. Okay, maybe that last part was all her. Oliver was going forward merely on the strength of her conviction in this. Her faith fueled his. He had no idea what that meant to her. 

She held his eyes for as long as she could, but eventually he had to turn and leave. And when the front door closed, Felicity had never felt more alone in her life. What had been charming and somewhat magical moments before, with moonlight streaming in, now became shadowed and dark and creepy. 

Twisting her fingers together, Felicity walked to the staircase and sat on the steps. She didn’t feel like going into the sitting room or upstairs. There was no use in delaying the inevitable and she’d rather be right there when Slade’s monsters came to get her. 

But she realized that Slade might still be watching her and sitting on the steps, patiently waiting to be kidnapped would look a little suspicious. So she pulled out her phone and started playing around on it, thumbing through apps and trying to distract herself from her own nerves, which were blossoming and generating friends in her belly. She tapped her ear, double checking that the comm was in place and ready. It would make sense to Slade that she would be in contact with her team and both she and Oliver expected he would use it to let Oliver know that Felicity was in his clutches. 

Waiting for masked psychos to come take her was the most nerve wracking thing Felicity had ever done. And she’d done some pretty nerve wracking things in the last two years. Every sound, and there were a lot in a house as big and sprawling and _empty_ as this one, made her flinch. She was glad Oliver had sent the staff home, to hide out or leave the city, but right then, she wouldn’t mind someone else around. 

Felicity reminded herself that would defeat this entire purpose. 

The syringe weighed heavy in her pocket. _Eyes on the prize, Smoak_. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then fifteen. Felicity was just starting to doubt Slade’s endgame in this when she heard some noises from outside the house. She pretended not to hear it, acting like she was absorbed in something on her phone. 

But when the front door was kicked open, Felicity didn’t have to fake her startled jump. In fact, she dropped her phone and it clattered onto the hard floor of the entryway. 

The men framed in the doorway were tall, beefy, and their faces were covered by masks. Before she could do anything but scramble to her feet, they moved and were on her. She screamed as they grabbed her and one of them covered her mouth and nose with a cloth. She struggled as much as she could but her arms and eyelids grew heavy and soon, the darkness swallowed her up. 

***

It felt good to be fighting. It felt even better to be fighting with a team, united against a common evil. A rush of pride filled Oliver as he and the others stormed into the tunnel to fight off (and cure) Slade’s army. The team was fighting back. And they had an army of their own. 

The mirakuru cure worked well and once injected, the goons were easily subdued. Lance and several of the police force fought alongside them and cuffed the downed men for transport to Iron Heights. It was efficient and _cathartic_. 

Because leaving Felicity alone in that house, knowing that she was about to be taken by Slade, was doing a number on his mind. Oliver couldn’t stop thinking about Felicity’s face as he told her what was in his heart. But then he’d recall the look on her face when he left. 

He knew she was scared. He was scared too. Leaving her as bait felt like the worst idea ever. But he trusted her. She thought this would work and he trusted her judgement. He trusted her and Dig as much as he trusted himself. 

It took everything in him to focus on the mission, focus on taking down the mirakuru army and helping out the team, having their backs. To his mind, he did a pretty good job of it. But he still dropped everything when there was a beep on the comm line in his ear, indicating the feed had been accessed. 

He hopped on top of a cab, up out of the fray of fighting people and tapped the comm button on his chest. “Go!” he shouted in his low, guttural, Arrow tone. 

“You’ve been busy, kid,” Slade rasped in his ear. 

“It’s over, Slade!” He watched as the team rounded up the last of Slade’s goons, all cured, now being subdued. “Your army is broken.”

“And I do pity them,” Slade replied, sounding unconcerned. “But once again, you are missing the point. You are going to meet me where I say and we are going to finish this. Once and for all.”

“I’m not meeting you anywhere,” Oliver said, playing along. In his chest, his heart was pounding so hard he wondered if it might give out. “I’m done playing your games.”

“You are done when I say you are done!” Slade shouted. Then, his voice softened a bit. “I have to admit, I am surprised. I thought you had a thing for stronger women.”

He could hear her now, over the comm. The soft sound of her whimpers made it over the line and twisted his gut. It reminded him, in an almost horrifically nostalgic way, of the way the Count had called him back in the fall, when he’d taken Felicity. How Oliver had answered his phone at the courthouse, expecting to get an update from Felicity and instead heard the sneering tone of the Count, cajoling him to come to him. It reminded him of how it felt to hear Felicity’s distress over the line and being on the other side of the city, helpless to do anything in that moment. 

But this time, _they_ had the power. 

“She is quite lovely, your Felicity.”

And there it was. Oliver was almost surprised that Slade had fallen for the bait. But he was also anxious now to get this over with. 

“You touch her and I will end you!” He didn’t have to fake that at all. 

“Me touching her is rather the point, kid,” Slade taunted. “Meet me at the water treatment plant. Immediately.”

Oliver disengaged the comm immediately. He called to Sara who ran over to him. 

“I have to go,” he told her. 

“Felicity?” she asked. 

Oliver nodded. 

“I’ll make sure my father has these guys rounded up, but I’ll be right behind you, in case you need backup.”

“I don’t want you hurt, Sara.”

She smiled and it was a rakish expression behind her dark mask. “You think it’s that easy to kill me?”

He had to snort at that. It was just the right diffusion of tension in that moment, a little something to cut through the fear that had settled in his gut. “Just be careful,” he told her. 

“You go get your girl,” she replied with a wink. 

Yes. His girl. His brilliant, brave and amazing girl. The woman who not only held his heart in hers but who would be instrumental in bringing this monster down. He couldn’t do this without her. He couldn’t do any of this without her. He promised himself, as he swung a leg over his Ducati, that he would never let her go. 

With a rev of his engine, he shot off into the night, headed directly for the water treatment plant. It was past time to end this… once and for all. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the final showdown with Slade and Felicity has a bone of her own to pick...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's Friday. Without getting political, it's about the best thing I can say about this day. Perhaps this update will cheer some of my more downtrodden readers? 
> 
> Welcome to the penultimate chapter of "all eyes on you". The last chapter will go up Monday morning. Big thanks to everyone who has supported this story as well as my beta, @the-silverforked-sky, who has done a great job keeping this story in line.

Oliver arrived at the water treatment plant in record time. The police and the ARGUS soldiers were starting to clean up the city, removing crashed vehicles from the road and restoring order to the seedier parts of town. Oliver didn’t encounter much in the way of traffic on his ride over, and it was a good thing because he was in no frame of mind to deal with it right now. 

He parked his Ducati a ways away from the plant and walked in on foot, his mask and hood up, his bow ready. As he got nearer, he saw some of Slade’s goons patrolling the entrance. Taking them out was a piece of cake, especially with the cure-laced arrows he still had in his quiver. 

He found a few more enhanced soldiers inside the plant and try as he might to keep quiet, the sound echoed. It was a safe bet Slade knew exactly where he was. Which Oliver was fine with; the man knew he was coming, after all. Still, a little stealth might have been nice. 

Oliver crept slowly through the water treatment plant, his bow raised, an arrow at the ready. Over the whistle of escaping steam, he heard Slade’s voice. As he drew nearer to it, the words became more distinct. 

“Twitch, and I will open your throat.”

It brought to mind a sword being held to Felicity’s creamy white throat and Oliver had to swallow down a fresh flash of fear. As Slade spoke again, he evoked a particular memory… 

“Those were my first words to you, too. Do you remember? I do…”

Oliver remembered too. He crept closer. He remembered how in awe of Slade he’d been. He was still new to the island, untrained and reckless and naive. He’d been scared to have a blade held against his throat, and knew this man could kill him in an instant if he so wished. Oliver also remembered how relieved he’d felt when Slade had become a friend, instead of an enemy. 

“I remember the exact moment. My blade, against your neck. Just like my blade is against the neck of your beloved.”

Oliver’s heart thudded. He rounded a corner and Slade came into view. Slade and Felicity. He had her in front of him, his sword held against her neck just like he’d pictured. Felicity was still, trembling slightly, but her eyes watched him as he approached. There were fresh tear tracks down her cheeks but she wasn’t crying now. 

So brave… 

“If only I’d killed you that day,” Slade growled. “Everything would be different.”

Oliver moved into position before them, his arrow aimed directly at Slade’s other eye. 

“Drop the bow, kid.” Slade’s single eye hardened and he pressed the blade tighter to Felicity’s neck, making her gasp. “Do it.”

Slowly, Oliver relaxed his grip on the arrow and lowered the bow, setting it on the ground next to him. 

“Yes…” Slade all but purred. “Countless nights I’ve spent dreaming of taking from you everything that you took from me.”

“By killing the woman I love?” Oliver asked. He looked to Felicity again. She looked scared, but also ready. He knew she was just waiting for the signal from him. There was no indication from her that Slade or his goons had discovered the syringe on her, thank goodness. She would have found a way to let him know if they had. 

“Yes,” Slade replied simply. 

“The woman I love the way you love Shado?”

“Yes…” This time the reply was more wistful and Slade’s eye became unfocused. 

“You see her,” Oliver said, voicing a suspicion he’d had for weeks now. “Don’t you?”

Slade relaxed his grip on Felicity and Oliver found he could breath a little easier. Felicity sank to her knees, a little sob escaping. He knew she was scared and he ached to comfort her. Slade paced around her, his sword still drawn, but he was listening to what Oliver said so he continued. 

“What does she look like in your madness, Slade?” he asked. “What does she say to you? I remember her being beautiful. Young. Kind.”

Felicity met his eye and he saw sadness beyond her own circumstance there. He promised himself to tell her more about Shado after this was all done. Shado’s memory deserved to live on in someone who wouldn’t twist that memory into something dark and ugly. 

“She would be horrified by what you’ve done in her name,” Oliver finished, fully confident of the truth of his words. Shado had been firm but good and corruption, like what Slade was projecting, was the very thing that would have disgusted her the most. 

That seemed to set Slade off. His single eye blazed with fury. “What I’ve done??” he raged. “What I have done is what you lack the courage to do! To fight for her! I don’t see you fighting for your beloved Felicity… you’ve set your bow aside. Not until her body lies at your feet, her blood wet against your skin, then you will know what I’ve suffered!”

“I already know how you feel,” Oliver said, his voice measured. “I know what it’s like to hate. To want revenge.” 

This time, when he caught Felicity’s eye, he nodded imperceptibly. She blinked back at him and slowly got to her feet in front of Slade, her movements stiff. He saw her hand go slowly to her pocket, her fingers likely wrapping around the syringe there. 

“And right now, I know how it feels to see my enemy so distracted, he doesn’t realize the real danger is right in front of him.”

Slade was looking at him strangely, clearly not understanding what he meant. But he was definitely distracted. In one swift movement, Felicity drew the syringe out of her pocket and brought it up, turning just enough to make sure she landed the needle in its intended target: Slade Wilson’s neck. 

He roared his anger and surprise and as he doubled over, clutching at his neck, Felicity darted away from him and the sword he still held. 

“Run!” Oliver yelled, reaching down to grab his bow. He pulled another cure-laced arrow from his quiver and tossed it to her, in case she encountered any of Slade’s minions. He hoped if she did, it wasn’t more than one. But Sara should be along soon and she could lend a hand if needed. 

Felicity grabbed the arrow out of the air, and nodded, tucking the arrow into her grasp. Then, she darted off into the shadows, leaving him alone with Slade. Now… the fight would begin. 

***

Felicity could hear Slade roaring in anger as she ran down the dim hallway, away from the sounds of him and Oliver battling it out. The arrow he’d thrown her was clutched in her hand and she tucked it just inside her jacket, careful to put it pointy side down so she wouldn’t jab herself with it. 

She had to believe Oliver could beat Slade now, especially since the mirakuru no longer gave Slade such an unfair advantage. He may have taught Oliver everything he knew on the island, regarding combat, but Oliver has learned a few new tricks since then. Plus, he’s younger. And now, maybe, he might just be stronger too. 

Felicity could see a door leading outside up ahead, but before she could reach it, a figure stepped in her path. 

Wearing an outfit much like the one Slade wore, with a mask to boot, was Isabel Rochev. She _lived_. Of course she had. And if Isabel was alive, it was pretty likely that Slade had injected her with mirakuru after Diggle shot her. Which meant… Felicity was kinda screwed. Because how could she legitimately fight a woman who had super strength? Unless she fell back on snark, which let’s be honest, snark was always a good decision when a person expected to be skewered at any moment. 

“Going somewhere?” Isabel sneered. 

“That’s quite a change from a boardroom power suit,” Felicity remarked, feeling a little breathless. 

“More than just my _suit_ has changed…”

“Let me guess… you’ve been given new life with mirakuru?” Felicity feigned yawning. “That’s _so_ last December.”

Isabel smirked. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? I know the truth. I know you’re nothing more than a secretary… and Oliver Queen’s _whore_.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? Are you still jealous that he slept with me in Russia and not you? Girl, you gotta learn to let things _go_.”

The smirk slid off her face, her expression turning stormy. 

“Get over it already, he didn’t want you.” Felicity shrugged for effect. 

With a shriek, Isabel launched herself at Felicity. Her fist caught Felicity in the stomach, sending her to the ground. But she rolled away before Isabel could kick at her side. As she got to her feet, Felicity grabbed a nearby crowbar that had been resting against the wall. She held it in front of her, hoping to ward Isabel off. The other woman smirked again and pulled a sword out of the sheath on her back. 

_Frack_. 

Felicity lifted the crowbar just in time, using both hands, to keep Isabel from bringing the sword down on her head. But Felicity’s arms burned with the effort of keeping her at bay… Isabel was freaky strong. And she had the distinct impression that the woman wasn’t using all of her strength yet. 

_She’s toying with me. Like I’m a mouse and she’s the cat_. 

That thought should have terrified her. There should have been ice running through her veins. Felicity should have wanted to either dig a hole to hide in or run for the hills. But not this time. Isabel had been rotten to her from the beginning and Felicity would have hated her even if she hadn’t been revealed to be working with the ‘big bad’. The woman had made her working life at QC before she left an exercise in humiliation and degradation. She’d tried to smear not just her, but Oliver and his family’s company in the papers last fall. While Felicity was happy with her new job (and expanded responsibilities) at Merlyn Global, Isabel was the reason Felicity left QC. 

So no, she would not be running from this woman. Not this time. She might not have much to fight her with, but she had that arrow Oliver had given her. Which she _just_ remembered. And that was _something_. 

The woman circled around her, looking nearly feral. 

“You’ve been a thorn in my side since the start, Ms. Smoak,” Isabel growled. 

“Same goes,” Felicity replied, blowing a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face. 

“If it hadn’t been for you, my plan to take over Queen Consolidated would have gone off without a hitch.” Isabel’s once lovely features were twisted with anger and hate. 

Could she do this? Could she inject Isabel with the cure? She didn’t need to get as close as she’d done with Slade, her armor wasn’t nearly as thick and didn’t cover nearly as much of her body. But she’d have to get close enough… she had no bow to shoot the arrow with and even if she did, there was no guarantee she _could_. Oliver would have to train her to shoot an arrow one of these days. 

“Good thing I was around, then,” Felicity murmured. 

Isabel sneered. “Your _boyfriend_ is a moron… he would have fallen for my trap if you and Merlyn hadn’t been there to stop him from signing over the company.”

Felicity bristled at the insult to Oliver. “He’s not a moron, he just has a good heart. He wanted to believe you weren’t a complete monster, Isabel. That’s not a flaw.”

“Just shut up!” she roared. “You ruined all of my plans! And for that, Felicity Smoak, you will _die_!”

Isabel charged then, her sword held high. Felicity saw in a heartbeat what she had to do. The adrenaline crashing through her system made it seem as though time had slowed down. She saw Isabel grow nearer and she readjusted her grip on the arrow in her hand. At the last second, Felicity dodged to the side, rolling away, like how Sara had shown her, and came up as fast as she could, plunging the Arrow down at Isabel’s side. 

Her armor wasn’t armor so much as it was lycra spandex (to show off her girlish figure?), so the arrow penetrated easily and Isabel’s scream echoed off the pipes around them. Felicity dove away to avoid any blows by Isabel’s sword. It was at that moment she noticed two people joining the fray. It was Sara and Nyssa. _Frack,_ she’d never been so glad to see Sara before in her _life_. 

Felicity was on her back so she sat up and then scooted back, scrambling with her hands and feet, her palms scraping across the rough cement floor. Felicity watched in fascination as Sara and Nyssa went at Isabel as a united front. They worked so well together, off each other. Their moves complimented each other to the point where it looked more like a dance than it did battle. Within seconds, they had Isabel down on her knees. She was breathing hard, bleeding from a cut on her temple, where her mask had been ripped. 

Sara and Nyssa were barely winded, though their hair was delightfully tousled. They looked like they’d just stepped off the pages of an overly stylized comic book. Felicity wanted to pump her fist and shout, “girl power!” but didn’t think it was the proper moment to do so. 

It was an interesting moment and there was a choice to make. Felicity thought about Oliver’s vow not to kill in the wake of Laurel’s death last year. She knew he would do whatever he could to bring Slade down and deliver him to whomever could lock this maniac up. Probably Amanda Waller and ARGUS. She doubted Iron Heights would know what to do with the likes of Slade Wilson. 

But Sara and Nyssa? Felicity knew Sara well enough to know that her first instinct was to kill in these situations. It was how she’d been trained. She knew that Sara tried to resist that, wanted to be a better sort of hero. But Nyssa? Felicity didn’t know Nyssa, other than she was raised an assassin. Killing is probably all she knew. 

Isabel, for her part, didn’t look even remotely afraid. She glared at both Sara and Nyssa, managing to look composed even while on her knees before them. 

“Kill me,” she said, her voice a snarl. “Don’t kill me. It doesn’t matter—“

In the blink of an eye, Nyssa reached down and snapped Isabel’s neck. Felicity heard the sickening crunch and watched, horror struck, as Isabel slumped to the ground, lifeless. That woman had been a cruel bitch, a horrible monster of a villain, but Felicity wasn’t sure how she felt seeing her be killed like that. 

“C’mere,” a voice said. Felicity tore her eyes from Isabel’s prone form, her eyes open and staring, to see a hand in front of her. She looked up to see Sara standing before her, hand outstretched. 

Felicity took Sara’s hand and let her help her to her feet. Her legs were shaking and she had to brace against Sara for a moment to gain her balance. 

“You okay?” Sara asked. “Did Isabel—?” Her eyes darted over Felicity’s form, looking for any obvious injury.

She shook her head. “N-no. I’m fine. I just…” Her eyes drifted back to Isabel. 

Nyssa stood next to the body, looking utterly unrepentant. “Isabel Rochev needed to die. This woman had vengeance in her heart for _you_ , Felicity Smoak. She would not have rested until she saw you dead or ruined, mirakuru in her system or not.”

Felicity knew the assassin was probably right. She’d seen the black hatred in Isabel’s eyes. She let go of Sara and walked over to Nyssa, sticking her hand out. Nyssa looked at her hand for a moment before relenting and returning the gesture, shaking Felicity’s hand. 

“Thank you,” Felicity said. She looked to Sara. “Both of you. I’d probably be dead if you guys hadn’t shown up.”

“Did it work?” Sara asked. “The ploy to give Slade the cure?”

“We came across you first, before we could seek out Oliver Queen to assist him,” Nyssa explained. 

Felicity nodded. “It worked. He told me to run as soon as I jabbed him with the needle. So I did.”

“Smart thinking,” Sara said. “I’m sure Ollie’s got this. He’s a good fighter.”

“No better fighter than me,” Nyssa reminded her. 

Felicity bit her lips to hide her grin. “Hopefully he’s got Slade put down by now. Let’s go find him. See if we can help.” She paused and glanced at Sara and Nyssa, the former who was smirking at her. “Well, see if _you_ can help.”

“Lead the way, Felicity Smoak, MIT Class of ’09.” Nyssa said, gesturing forward, a small but flirtatious smile curving her lips. 

***

Slade was pinned against a pillar, Oliver’s trick arrows securing him in place. Without the mirakuru in his system, he was powerless to fight against the tight wires the held him there. Even so, Oliver had used two of them, just to be sure. 

While Slade panted and muttered angrily, Oliver placed a call to Amanda Waller. 

“Amanda, it’s over!” he told her. “Slade’s down, his army’s been taken out. Call back the drones.”

“You’re certain?” Amanda’s crisp voice asked. 

“Positive. He can’t hurt anyone else now.”

He hung up and turned back to Slade. He was every bit as angry as he’d been before Felicity injected him with the cure. 

“So what now, kid?” he growled. 

“You’re finished, Slade.” It felt ridiculously good to turn and walk away from him just then. Because it was over. He had defeated Slade, he had kept his vow to Laurel’s memory and Slade was finished. He had no more power over Oliver and the weight lifted from his shoulders was palpable.

Everything on him was sore though and he was just starting to notice it all. He had a gash on his forehead, his knee was acting up and he felt like he could use about a week’s worth of sleep. He stumbled as he started walking away. Not out of sight; it wouldn’t do to leave Slade unattended, even for a moment. But far enough away that he could breathe and calm himself, post-battle. 

“Oliver!”

He turned to the voice on instinct and saw Felicity flying towards him. He vaguely noticed Sara and Nyssa behind her, but his attention was completely focused on the love of his life. He caught her easily as she ran at him, swinging her around in his arms. She felt solid there, her body whole and unharmed, her heart pounding against his, her breath warming his neck as she buried her face there. 

“You did it,” she whispered to him and he could hear the tears clogging her voice. 

“We both did,” he replied. “I’m so proud of you.”

“And I’m proud of you,” she said, relaxing her hold on him so she slid back down his body to stand on her feet again. “You fought him and you won.” She glanced over his shoulder to where Slade was bound to the pillar. 

“I did. But I couldn’t have managed it without you. It was your idea and it worked,” he pointed out. 

She shrugged but smiled bashfully. “I got lucky.”

“No,” Oliver said. He reached a hand up to cup her face, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. “I did.”

He used his other hand to cup the other side of his face and brought their lips together. He kissed her like she was his forever… she _was_ his forever. She’d stayed with him through this whole nightmare, even when he’d been an idiot and tried to push her aside. Felicity was stronger than anyone he knew, she didn’t budge in the least. He was the luckiest man alive to have her. 

She kissed him back, her hands on his waist and squeezing him through the leather of his jacket. She matched his tongue, thrust for thrust, stroke for stroke. He swallowed the sweet sighs she made and she swallowed his groans. 

“Is this what ‘settling’ looks like?” 

Slade’s croaky voice interrupted them and they drew away from one another, though Oliver kept her close, moving his hands to her arms, then shifting around to her back to keep her pressed close to him. He looked back over his shoulder at his nemesis. 

Slade coughed a little pathetically and spit out a mouthful of blood. “Don’t forget, kid. I remember the way you mooned over that photo of Laurel Lance back on the island. I know she was your real love.”

Felicity stiffened in his arms and Oliver felt a fury settle over him. “You don’t know the slightest bit what you’re talking about,” he told him. 

“Don’t I? I expected to come back here and see you chasing after the beautiful lawyer, the woman who was always too good for you. My plans included her, you see. I was going to use her to torture you. I had to shift my plans a bit, it turns out, but I was lucky enough that you’d found a second rate replacement.”

“Shut up,” Oliver growled. “Felicity isn’t second to anyone.”

“Come on, kid. Are you telling me that if Laurel Lance was here right now, you wouldn’t have her in your arms instead?” He chuckled, a little weakly. “I could have killed this girl with the glasses anyhow, though, just to keep you on your toes. But she was by no means the primary target.”

Sara appeared and in one almost graceful movement, she punched Slade so hard and so cleanly across the jaw, that his head snapped back into the pillar and then lolled to the side. Sara shook her hand out and looked at Slade, disgusted. “There. That shut him up.”

“Thanks, Sara,” Oliver told her. 

She shrugged and smiled. “It was the least I could do. Besides, he was getting on my nerves.”

Felicity was still tense next to him, but he released her enough so that he could turn to Sara. Nyssa joined her and she regarded Slade as though he were a curious bug of some sort. 

“Thanks for your help tonight too,” he said. “Both of you.”

“It was our honor and duty,” Nyssa said, standing stiffly. “Slade Wilson is a scourge that must be stopped and that is what the League exists to accomplish.”

“I’m glad we could help, Ollie,” Sara said, smiling easily.

“What will you do now?” Felicity asked. 

Sara glanced at Nyssa. “I’m going back with Nyssa.”

Oliver’s mouth fell open. He glared at Nyssa. “Why are you making her do this?”

Sara patted his arm. “She’s not making me do anything. I chose this.”

“Are you sure?” Felicity asked. 

“We can help you, Sara,” Oliver insisted. 

“I’m deciding my own fate, you guys. For maybe the first time in my life.”

“We’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Felicity. And you too, Ollie, I suppose.” Sara grinned and looked at Nyssa, reaching for her hand. 

“Come see us soon,” Oliver said. 

“I won’t go so far that I can’t find my way back,” Sara promised. He knew she was speaking about more than just physical distance. Maybe she was finally getting in touch with her own inner morality and demons. Maybe Nyssa could help her with that. He had to hope. 

Oliver looped an arm around Felicity’s waist as they both watched Sara and Nyssa walk off, slipping into the night together. “She’ll be okay,” Felicity told him. 

“I know she will be.”

“Listen, about what Slade said—“

Felicity turned to him. There was a shadow behind her eyes that hadn’t been there before and he wanted badly to clear it away. “I know he was just trying to get to me. To us.”

“He was. And he wasn’t right. Remember what I told you back at the mansion?” He hadn’t meant to be quite so specific in his declaration, knowing they just had to put on a good show for Slade’s cameras, but he hadn’t been able to stop the truth from spilling past his lips. 

Felicity nodded, her eyes filling with tears. He hoped they were happy tears. 

“Every word of it was true. I loved Laurel and a part of me always will love her. But you are my heart, Felicity. The love I have for you doesn’t even compare. I don’t want you to think for a single moment that it does.”

“I didn’t mean to let him get to me but it’s just…” She broke off and bit her lip, her eyes darting away from his. Felicity looked as unsure as he’d ever seen her and it threatened to break his heart. “Would you be with Laurel right now? If she hadn’t died?”

Oliver blew out a breath. He wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her that way, physically, the way that came easiest to him. But he recognized that’s not what she needed right now, she needed his words. So he would try… for her. 

“Honestly? I don’t think so,” he told her. “I knew after I slept with her last year that I was making the wrong move. It _felt_ wrong. I stepped on Tommy’s toes, I was looking for redemption, I wanted to get back to something that I’d already lost five years earlier. You can’t move forward by stepping backwards. And I think she would have realized that too.”

“Really?” Felicity asked. “You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?” 

Oliver smiled. “Really. Felicity, the feelings I have for you were already building when the Undertaking happened. We slept together in that cabin because of more than just comfort and friendship.”

“It was more for _me_ … I wasn’t sure about you, though,” she admitted. 

“It was. I didn’t want to see it and if the cabin had never happened, who knows how long I could have continued to deny it. But I wouldn’t have been able to deny it forever. I loved Laurel, but _you_ , Felicity Smoak, are the love of my life. That was always going to be how this played out.”

Her eyes were still shining and now he was pretty sure they were happy tears he was seeing. Because her smile lit up her sky. He scooped her up in his arms again, ignoring his protesting ribs and knee, and kissed her deeply. 

It felt like coming home. Kissing Felicity always felt like that. The simple press of their lips together was enough to feel familiar and safe and _right_. But when she’d open her mouth to him, as she was doing now, that’s when Oliver truly felt at peace. Intimacy came easy for them, as easy as holding hands or smiling across a crowded room. Their bodies fit together naturally, their lips moved together in sync and their sighs even complimented one another, their breaths fanning each others faces. 

Their kiss was interrupted a few moments later by the rhythmic chopping of helicopter blades. They broke contact but Oliver continued to hold her in his arms as they watched the large craft carefully touch down about a hundred feet away from where they stood. 

The door on the side slid open to reveal Amanda Waller. But Oliver grinned as he saw Diggle and Lyla climb out behind her. Felicity grinned too as she slipped out of his arms. It was good to see their friend and know he’d made it through Slade’s siege okay. 

Amanda’s expression was stern as she approached them, her heels clicking on the pavement. Not one hair was out of place, her lipstick was perfectly applied. Next to him, Felicity muttered, “Did she even break a sweat while she was planning to bomb Starling with drones?”

Oliver elbowed her gently. Then he stuck out his hand to shake Amanda’s. It was a brief, firm greeting and she dipped her head at both of them. 

“Congratulations, Mr. Queen. You’ve done the unthinkable. I will admit neither I nor anyone else at ARGUS expected you’d be able to take Slade down on your own,” she said, her tone cool. 

Lyla cleared her throat from behind Waller and the stern woman turned to regard her for a moment, before facing Oliver again. “Well. Perhaps not everyone.”

Oliver shrugged a little. “It wasn’t just me. I had a lot of help. Especially from Felicity.”

Dig grinned at both of them. “I always knew you were a badass, Smoak,” he said, stepping forward to engulf Felicity in a huge hug. 

“How’d it go at ARGUS?” Oliver heard her ask. 

Dig released her and smirked. “Oh… you know.”

Oliver could tell there was a story there. But now, with Waller looking on, wasn’t the time to get into it. He shook John’s hand. “Thanks for keeping things at bay,” he told him. 

“Just glad to help. Good on you for taking care of you who know who.” Dig nodded back over his shoulder at Slade, who was still knocked out and tied to the pillar. 

“Felicity helped.” 

“Are you going to tell me what went down?”

Oliver’s eyes drifted to Waller, who was pretending not to be listening in. “Maybe later.”

“So what do you intend to do with Mr. Wilson?” the ice lady asked. 

“I thought I’d foist him off on you guys,” Oliver replied with a shrug. 

“Cheeky,” she remarked, but a small smile twisted her lips. “I think I have just the place for him, but I’m going to need you to transport him there. My teams are tied up here, cleaning things up.”

Oliver looked to Felicity, who nodded. Dig nodded as well. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to haul him off, to be honest.”

“Very well. The helicopter can take you to the airport.”

“Airport?” Felicity asked. 

“Oh yes,” Waller replied with a cat-like grin. “You three plus Mr. Wilson are going on a long, long trip.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slade is defeated and locked away and now they have the rest of their lives spread before them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All things must come to an end... and we are the end of this fic. Perhaps my last fic. I’m not 100% sure yet. (I am, however, participating in the Valentine's Smut-a-thon, and despite struggling with the prompt I was assigned I WILL have something to contribute! I HOPE.) I do hope you’ve enjoyed this ride and I want to thank each and every one of you who has supported me. Fic thrives on support and without you, well, there’d probably be a lot less fic! Every comment, like, reblog, kudo and read has meant the world to me. So thank you.
> 
> Also, a big thank you to my beta @the-silverforked-sky. She put up admirably with my crazy update schedule. I should have taken it easier on her but I really wanted to have this all posted before the show comes back on Wednesday. Thanks for having patience with me!

Oliver closed the heavy door on the massive underground bunker ARGUS had constructed on Lian Yu. Slade’s shouts and promises of revenge echoed in his ears but he found they didn’t bruise him like they had before. Could Slade escape from this prison? Not likely, but then, Oliver had seen a lot of unlikely things in the last seven years. He would probably see a lot more in the future. And if Slade did come for him again, if he came for his loved ones and family again, Oliver would be waiting, ready to stop him, his team backing him up. 

Lifting a hand to shield his eyes against the glare of the sun, he looked towards the rocky beach and saw Diggle and Felicity standing there, waiting for him. With a smile, he picked his way down towards them. He thought about Slade in that prison, stewing in his own anger and vengeance. Oliver had meant what he’d just told him… that as much as Slade had helped turn Oliver into a killer, he’d also helped him become a hero. He could look at the sort of man Slade had become and _know_ , in his bones, that he didn’t want to become like him. 

Felicity smiled as he drew nearer, reaching out to take his hand. “All set?” she asked. 

He nodded. “He’s not terribly happy in there, but he’s secure.”

“I don’t envy whatever ARGUS grunt has to go in there and feed the son of a bitch,” Dig remarked. 

“Me either,” Felicity agreed. “So glad he’s not our problem anymore.”

“That makes three of us,” Oliver said. They started walking towards the sea plane they’d used to fly from mainland China to Lian Yu. The tail of the plane bobbed in the shallow waters along the beach, the front landing gears resting solidly on the rocky shore. 

“You know, last time I was here, I don’t think I fully appreciated that it’s actually kind of beautiful here,” Felicity said, looking around at the woods that bordered the beach. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m counting down the seconds until we shove off Minefield Island. But the trees _are_ pretty.”

Oliver chuckled and Dig shook his head. “So you think that’ll be enough to hold him?” Dig asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder and indicating the underground bunker/prison. 

He nodded. “Him and anyone else we send here. This battle may be over, but I’m not naive enough to believe there won’t be others.”

“And we’ll be there, right by your side,” Felicity told him. 

“Your fight is our fight, man,” Dig added. 

Oliver smiled at these two people who were so important in his life as they came to a stop by the plane. “I wouldn’t dream of doing any of this without either of you.”

“Good, because you’re sorta stuck with us.” Felicity grinned at him and it was so infectious, that he had to smile back at her. She had a few bruises here and there, remnants of their showdown with Slade, but she was smiling and happy. That was what mattered. 

“Dig, what was the news about you and Lyla?” Waller had said something before they’d boarded the helicopter. Something about ‘congratulations on the good news’ and Oliver had been so focused on getting Slade to Lian Yu without incident, he hadn’t really had a chance to ask for clarification before now. 

Diggle grinned. “I’m going to be a father.”

“What!” Felicity cried, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Since when??”

“Since Waller let it slip when we were at ARGUS last night… Lyla hadn’t told me yet, she was waiting till after the siege.”

“Oh my god!” Felicity launched herself at their friend, engulfing him in a big hug. “You’re gonna be a daddy!”

Diggle laughed and hugged her back. Oliver watched them fondly, an unfamiliar emotion unfurling in his chest. It felt… wistful. Dig looked so _happy_. 

Felicity finally released him and Oliver stepped forward to hug the man he considered a brother. He slapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you, John,” he said. 

“Thanks, Oliver.” 

He stepped back and saw Felicity was biting her lip. “Unless, of course, you aren’t happy? Are you happy, Dig?”

“It’s a surprise,” he admitted. “Lyla and I are still divorced, after all. We haven’t even really been living together again, since Moscow. There was no plan for this.”

Oliver heard what Dig wasn’t saying. “…But?”

Dig’s grin burst out again. “But I’m thrilled. Obviously, we have to talk about our living arrangements. I want her to be with me. I can’t wait to raise this baby together. I haven’t thought about having kids in years and if you’d asked me two months ago, I would have told you the timing was complete shit. But maybe I’ve realized something about that.”

“What’s that?” Oliver asked, finding he really wanted to know what his friend would say. John always had the best wisdom, he always seemed to be a little more evolved than himself and as such, Oliver looked up to him. He couldn’t _not_. 

“There’s no such thing as ‘good timing’ when it comes to life. You get hit with a curveball and figure out how to deal with it as best you can at the time. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s deep, John” Felicity said, her lips quirking a little at the corners. 

“Yeah, well, I’m right. You’ll see eventually,” he replied, grinning knowingly at both of them. 

Oliver helped Felicity into the plane and then climbed in himself with Dig pulling up the rear. Oliver situated himself behind the controls as Dig secured the door and Felicity strapped into the seat next to him. Doing the pre-flight checks gave Oliver a chance to digest what he was feeling in the wake of Diggle’s news. 

It hit him like a punch to the gut to realize he wanted what his friend had. He wanted Felicity to carry his child, knowing that the two of them had created something amazing out of their love for one another. He wanted to be a father, to pass a piece of himself on to a new generation, to leave a legacy behind besides the Arrow. He wanted to be there from the very first doctor appointment, through the delivery, on the first day of school, at graduation, at the child’s wedding… he wanted it _all_. And he wanted it with Felicity.

And that revelation left him absolutely breathless. 

He hadn’t even been able to convince Felicity to move in with him yet. Oliver had no business even _thinking_ about having children with her yet. If she even knew what he was daydreaming about, she’d probably rightfully run for the hills and never look back. 

It was the first time he’d ever really _had_ this desire. Back in college, before the Gambit, he’d gotten a girl pregnant and for a brief moment, he’d felt a lot of things, but mostly terror. Learning she’d lost the baby was sad, but also a relief. He hadn’t been ready and he _knew it_. But now? It was different. He might be ready. Even though having a child and being a vigilante at night had to be about the most dangerous thing, he still wanted it. 

Someday. Soon, hopefully.

“Everything okay?” Felicity asked him as he finished up his checks. 

Oliver smiled over at her. “Couldn’t be better.”

“Let’s go home!” Dig called from the seat behind them. 

***

The next day, Moira insisted on everyone gathering at the Queen mansion for dinner. All Felicity wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the week and she knew Oliver felt the same way. She _never_ woke up before him. But that next afternoon, as the sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, she did. 

They’d gotten back to Starling in the middle of the night. It felt like they’d been traveling forever and they pretty much had. Felicity tried to sleep on the plane but she wasn’t good at sleeping places where she couldn’t lay down so it had been scattered winks at best. 

When they’d touched down, Felicity had been too tired to argue with Oliver about where they went from the airport and she had zero interest in sleeping without him. So she’d gone with him to his new apartment. They’d fallen into bed, doing little more than kicking their shoes off.

So, Felicity woke up first, an uncommon occurrence, and then spent a few long minutes just watching Oliver sleep. His forehead was unlined, his expression was peaceful. He lay on his stomach, his whole body relaxed, and he looked about five years younger. Maybe more. This spring had been hard on him. _Slade Wilson_ had been hard on him. 

He’d been hard on them all.

Eventually, however, Felicity wasn’t content just to watch Oliver sleep. Her fingers itched to touch him. He was still dressed, just like she was, but she still ran a hand over his back, feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his shirt. His steady, even breaths lifted her hand and comforted her soul. 

She moved her hand up to the back of his neck, letting her fingers drift to the hair at the back of his head. He liked when she scratched at his head, tugging on the short strands of his hair. So she did that and was rewarded with a deep rumbling noise, almost like a purr. 

God, she loved him. That emotion overtook her until she leaned over him and pressed a kiss to his temple. Which lead to him rolling over and pulling her with him, which lead to even more kisses. Which lead to some very sleepy but very satisfying late afternoon sex, once they’d peeled each other’s clothes off. 

After that, they had to get ready for this dinner at the Queen mansion that they’d been summoned to attend. The text had come sometime the day before, sent by Thea since Moira was apparently above texting. As much as Felicity would love to back out and go back to sleep, she recognized it was important for Oliver to reconnect with his family. Plus, Roy, Tommy, Michelle, Dig and Lyla were all invited. 

The shower they took together before they got ready was fun too, though, so there was that. At least they’d be showing up for dinner clean, sated, and with smiles on their faces. 

As Felicity got dressed in a skirt and blouse she’d left here the last time she’d stayed over, she thought about how Oliver had asked her months ago to move in with him. She’d said no and while she didn’t regret that (she’d had very good reasons), she was starting to reconsider her decision. 

But Oliver hadn’t asked her again in months. Maybe he no longer wanted them to move in together. Maybe he liked the situation they had now. Felicity wasn’t sure what to do about it. This was still kicking around in her mind as she rode with Oliver over to the mansion, this time in his car instead of on the back of his Ducati. 

They were the last to arrive and the house was full of people, all laughing and talking. It was the first time Felicity had really felt like the castle-like Queen mansion was a warm home rather than a stately house. Thea embraced both her and Oliver and told them all about their adventure at the train station. 

“Malcolm?” Oliver repeated, aghast. “You mean he’s _alive_?”

“Alive and kicking,” Tommy said. “He wanted to take Thea with him. Me too, but mostly as an afterthought.” 

“God only knows what he wanted with me,” Thea said with a shudder. 

“It’s a good thing we showed up when we did,” Michelle said. “We had the thought to take the train out of town, once we saw the roads were crowded with traffic.”

Roy hung near Thea and the two of them looked at each other often with what Felicity decided were definitely heart eyes. She got Thea alone at one point during the evening and asked her about it. 

“Yeah, we’re back together,” Oliver’s little sister confirmed with a smile. “He’s a hero. And he loves me. And I love him.”

“That’s the important thing,” Felicity said with a nod. “But just be careful around Oliver. He’ll probably think it’s his duty to glare and disapprove.”

Thea laughed. “You know my brother pretty well, don’t you?”

Felicity couldn’t resist. “Do you really want me to answer that?” She winked for effect, laughing at Thea’s horrified expression. 

“No, I _definitely_ do not!”

She hurried off right after that, to find Roy presumably. Oliver, who was currently talking with Walter and his mother, caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. She blew him a kiss, enjoying how his cheeks pinked. 

Dinner went well, which surprised Felicity as much as it pleased her. It was such a contrast to the Christmas dinner from months ago. Everyone was relaxed, people were laughing and joking and telling stories. There was a palpable relief that permeated everyone’s behavior. Felicity felt it, she could tell everyone else did too. They made it through this nightmare and they were stronger than before. She liked to think that part of that was due to her telling Oliver that eliminating lies and secrets and coming together would make it easier to get through. Maybe that had made a difference, maybe not. 

The important thing was… this family was here and solid and Oliver was happy. Felicity _loved_ to see him happy. 

After the meal, she helped everyone clear the table and she caught Tommy lingering off to the side and went to join him. She hadn’t had a real chance to talk to him since the night they’d saved the Queens.

“Hey you,” she said. “Shirking responsibilities?”

Tommy chuckled. “You ever heard of too many cooks in the kitchen?”

“I’m pretty sure that saying does not apply to the cleanup,” Felicity pointed out. “I wanted to see how you’re doing, especially after that run-in with Malcolm.”

He lifted a shoulder, looking casual. “I’m fine. Still healing and Malcolm didn’t say anything to me that was any more upsetting than anything he’s said to me before in the past.”

Her heart panged. “Tommy…”

“Its fine, Felicity. I promise. I’m just sorry Michelle had to witness what a monster my father is.”

Felicity could recognize that Tommy was trying to shift the topic and, for now, she would let him. “Speaking of Michelle… I heard she took real good care of you while you were laid up in the hospital.”

He grinned, that patented Tommy Merlyn grin of his that made all the ladies swoon. “She sure did.”

“So, how are things going with her?”

“You keep asking me that,” Tommy said. He chuckled. “Trust me, Smoak, the instant I bust out a ring, you’ll be the first to know. Or, well, the _second_.”

Felicity felt her eyes bulging. “You’re going to propose??”

“Shh!” Tommy waved a hand at her and looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. “No, I’m not. Not yet. But say it a little louder, I’m not sure she heard you.”

“Sorry,” she apologized. “But… do you think… maybe?”

He gave her a _look_. “How about I ask _you_ if you and Ollie are going to be getting hitched anytime soon?”

She swallowed. “Fair enough.”

“Which would be pretty much jumping the gun since you won’t even move in with the poor guy.”

“Actually…”

Now it was Tommy’s turn to look shocked. “Wait… have you told him you’d move in with him?”

Felicity could feel the blush heating her cheeks. “Not exactly. The thing is… he hasn’t asked again since the winter and I don’t want to assume…”

Tommy’s expression was deadpan. “Are you kidding me right now? Felicity! Go tell him you want to move in with him!”

“Now?” she asked, her voice small. 

“Right now!” Tommy looked over her shoulder and then waved. “Ollie! Come over here! Felicity has something she wants to say to you.”

“Oh my god, Thomas,” she said through clenched teeth. “What are you, twelve? Is this middle school?”

“Whatever, Smoak, you love me.” He pecked her cheek, winked and then sidled away. 

She could have killed him. Her face was flaming as Oliver walked up to her, handing her a glass of wine, a refill from the glass she’d had with dinner. “Thank you,” she mumbled, accepting it. 

Oliver looked after his retreating friend. “What was Tommy talking about?” he asked. 

Felicity took a breath. This was her chance; as much as she hated Tommy’s tactics here, she knew he was right about telling Oliver. “About us moving in together,” she finally answered. 

A strange look passed over his face and Felicity could tell he was trying to look casual. “Oh? What about it? I thought he knew that we weren’t ready yet.”

“No, Oliver, _I_ wasn’t ready yet. But…”

Now she saw the hope dawn in his eyes. “But?”

“I think I might have changed my mind?” She didn’t mean it to, but it came out as a question. Which made Oliver’s lips quirk a bit with amusement. 

“Are you not sure if you have or not?” he asked her. 

“That depends… does the offer still stand?” Felicity bit her lip. 

Oliver shook his head and her heart started to sink. But then she saw the smile on his face. His eyes crinkled at the edges and a laugh escaped just before he pulled her into his arms. 

“Of _course_ it still stands,” he told her, still smiling serenely. 

“I wasn’t sure,” she admitted. “You haven’t brought it up in months.”

He huffed a laugh. “You said no, that you weren’t ready. I was trying to honor your wishes.”

Felicity let her head fall forward to rest on his chest. “I’m sorry I was stupid about this.”

“You weren’t stupid,” he told her. “I understood your reasons. I’m just happy that you want to live with me now.”

She lifted her head. “Really?”

“Yes, really. In fact, I’m going to go call a moving company right now and talk to Dig before he leaves with Lyla to see if he’ll help us move this weekend.”

Felicity just laughed and kissed him before he ran off, excited just like a kid on Christmas. 

***

Two days later, the sun had slid behind the horizon, the pizza and wine had been consumed and their friends had left, leaving them alone for the first time in _their_ apartment. 

Watching Felicity’s things fill the loft apartment alongside his things settled something inside of him. It felt _right_. Her sofa went perfectly with his floor rug which went perfectly with her coffee table which went perfectly with his floor lamp. 

Right now, she was standing out on the balcony. Oliver had just finished cleaning up the last of the dishes and pizza boxes and he paused for a moment by the open doors, just watching her. She was watching the skyline of the city, which was lit up and beautiful. He couldn’t see the scars of Slade’s siege from up here.

There was a breeze, welcome after what had been the first warm day they’d had this year. The breeze lifted her hair, which was down around her shoulders. Summer was upon them at last and Oliver was looking forward to enjoying it with Felicity this year. He hoped they could get away to the coast sometime this year, he really wanted to see her in a bikini, playing in the ocean. 

She looked absolutely gorgeous standing there, her sundress hugging her waist and dancing around her legs, her legs long and toned. Her shoulders and neck beckoned and Oliver could no longer hold himself back, just observing her. He moved forward, out onto the balcony and came up right behind her, He placed his hands on her shoulders, enjoying how her skin warmed his palms. She hummed, acknowledging him there and he dipped his head, pressing his lips to the side of her neck. 

“What’re you up to out here?” he asked her, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke. 

“Admiring my new view.”

“Funny, that’s what I was just doing.”

Her laugh was deep and throaty and so damn sexy. He turned her around so she was facing him, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her. Her lips were soft and warm against his and she tasted like wine and some of the chocolates Michelle had brought over to share with everyone. Her tongue glided alongside his and he pulled her closer into his arms, until her breasts pressed against his chest.

Finally, she pulled back to fill her lungs with air. “Wow, someone’s in the mood tonight,” she said, her eyes hooded. 

“Every night. With you,” he said. And didn’t it just thrill him to no end that she would actually be there every night, sharing a bed together, sharing _everything_ together. It felt like Christmas all over again, and this time he was getting everything he’d asked for. 

“Shall we take this to our room?” she asked, her voice a low purr. 

_Our room_. His blood boiled. “Fuck yes,” he growled. 

He took her hand and pulled her into the house, barely pausing to close the door to the balcony before pulling her towards the stairs. She laughed as she allowed herself to be pulled along. 

Oliver had her in his arms again as he pulled her into their room, kicking the door closed and kissing her deeply. He walked her back towards their bed, still kissing her breathless. He tugged at the zipper on her sundress eagerly and pulled away just long enough to push the straps off her shoulders and watch the fabric slide down her body, pooling at her bare feet. 

He stepped back for a moment, just to appreciate the view. Her bra was simple, white cotton. Her underwear weren’t fancy satin and lace, just cotton polka dots. But she looked so sexy to him just like this that he wanted to remember the image, have it burned in his mind, for the rest of his life. 

A flush covered the skin of her chest, up her neck, filling her cheeks, but she didn’t try to hide from his gaze. Instead, she reached out and began to undress him, pulling up his t-shirt and working the button on his jeans. As she concentrated rather adorably on her task, Oliver thought about a year ago. She’d come to that cabin to see if he needed any medical attention. She’d come to take care of him. For a long time, he thought he’d taken advantage of her there. But he saw it differently now. 

She’d come to _take care of him_. And she had. His physical wounds and his emotional ones too. And his heart. Something amazing had happened in that cabin, something that had jump started their relationship. But Oliver believed they would have ended up here eventually, even if she hadn’t come to that cabin. The pull between them had been there since they met and it would have gotten too strong to deny, eventually. 

He was just glad they didn’t have to wait. He was glad she’d come to the cabin, that they’d slept together, and that Felicity hadn’t given up entirely on him when he had his head up his ass. 

Now, all of that melted away and they were here, together, alone. In _their_ apartment. 

Felicity pushed his now unbuttoned shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor behind him, He hooked his thumbs in his jeans and pushed them and his boxes down his legs, kicking them aside. Oliver really enjoyed how her eyes traveled over his body, her pupils dilated, her tongue licking at her lips, the desire she felt for him and his body evident. 

He moved, crowding her, urging her back towards the bed. When the backs of her knees hit the edge of the mattress, she automatically sat, putting her at eye level with his stiffening cock. Before he could say a word, she was reaching for him, taking him in her soft, small hands, stroking him expertly. She knew exactly how to touch him, to make his blood race. Another day, he might let her take the lead here, see where she intended to go with her brazen touches, but right now, Oliver wanted something very specific. 

He moved over her slowly, urging her back on the bed. Felicity took his cue and scooted back, keeping her eyes on his as she moved backwards on the bed, allowing him to crawl over her. Once he got his knees on the bed, he reached underneath her with one arm and lifted her. 

She let out an adorable squeak but let him move her up the bed so her head rested on the pillows there. Once she was settled, he moved down over her body, pausing to press soft and light kisses to his favorite parts of her body. Her left nipple, the valley between her breasts, that dip just above her belly button, the gentle swell of her belly, her right hipbone… 

She shifted under his lips, a soft moan falling from her lips, making him smile into her skin. Felicity was so unconsciously sexy, the sounds she’d make and the way her body would move… she didn’t even know she was doing it most of the time but it drove him wild. And he wanted to show her just _how wild,_ right now. 

He moved down further, using his hands to gently spread her legs apart, settling in the space between them. He guided her legs over his shoulders, wanting to feel her thighs resting there, her heels pressing into his back as he went down on her. 

Oliver liked to take his time, he liked to nuzzle, taste, smell, feel, and savor. He did that now, brushing a fingertip over her soft folds which were already growing wet with her anticipation. He pressed small kisses to the insides of her thighs and breathed in her heady scent. He blew across her clit, enjoying how she quivered. With his thumbs, he drew her folds apart and leaned in, running his tongue through her cleft, gathering her taste and circling the tip of his tongue around her clit, flicking it softly before returning to her entrance to draw out more of her essence. He swallowed her down, her groans and cries music to his ears. 

He grew more focused, plunging his tongue in and out of her in an imitation of what he wanted to do with his cock. What he _would_ do with his cock… once he got what he wanted. Her inner walls clutched at his tongue and he couldn’t resist bringing a finger up, pressing it inside her, stroking those soft, clenching walls. Her shout of his name encouraged his attentions and he moved his tongue up to her clit, which was neglected. 

He soothed the taut nub with the flat of his tongue a few times before flicking and circling in a pattern that he knew would have her falling to pieces. Her cries grew louder, her fingers clenching at his hair, her thighs trembling. Oliver plunged a second finger into her, pushing the digits in far enough to press against a spongy spot that had her screaming out her release. He lifted his head for a moment, watching her face as she flew apart, enjoying the arch of her back and the shaking of her body. When she started to relax, he moved back down and licked her through her release, easing her down. 

But instead of drawing back, he waited until she was nearly relaxed before ramping up his game. He dove back in, lapping up the rest of her release and then teasing her clit. It was enlarged now, peeking out of it’s hood, begging for his attention. He swirled a finger around her entrance as he drew the nub gently into his mouth. 

He worked her clit gently at first, slight brushes of his tongue, soft presses of his lips until her squirms turned into undulations and she started sighing. Generally, Felicity liked to be left alone after an orgasm, sensitivity causing her to push him away. But this time, he knew she had more in her and he wanted to see it. 

As he felt her responding more and more to him, he stepped up the pressure of his lips, the firmness and movement of his tongue, the thrust of his fingers. She absolutely bloomed for him, his relentless attentions building her up so much quicker than before. She was getting close, he could tell it in her labored breathing, the pitch of her cries and how her thighs trembled over his shoulders. He sucked hard on her clit then, pounding his fingers and was rewarded with her crashing over the edge, coating his hand with her release. 

Holy hell, she was _magnificent_. 

He moved back, sitting up on his heels as he watched her come down from her high. He stroked her legs, admiring the bloom of her flush all over her skin, how plump and red her lips were, how her nipples stood erect for him, the sheen of sweat coating her forehead and how her hair was a glorious tangled mess, spread over the pillows. 

When her eyes opened and met his, Oliver moved quickly. 

He blanketed her body, pressing down and kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself on his tongue as he sucked on hers. His rock-hard dick dragged along her soft skin and Oliver had never wanted to bury himself in anyone so badly before. But he had a method here and he was determined to stick to it. When Felicity reached for him, her fingers brushing against the sensitive skin of his engorged head, he pushed her hand away. 

When she tried again, Oliver took her hands and lifted them, pinning them over her head. “My turn,” he told her in a growl. 

It wasn’t often that he took total control when they had sex. Usually, it was more of a give and take between them, a constant shifting of control. And Oliver did have a fondness for the times when Felicity took over, how it felt to relinquish his control to her and let her set the tone and speed. But tonight? Wasn’t about that. He had a very specific need burning through him right now. 

Felicity noticed and her eyes noticeably darkened. Her lips quirked a little. “Feeling a little dominant tonight?” she asked. 

He answered her with a growl before lunging down to attack her neck. She had this one really sensitive spot underneath her ear and when he preyed on it, licking and sucking and biting, it drove her wild. Right now was no different. She moaned and writhed underneath him. One of his hands still held hers pinned, while the other reached down and massaged her breast. 

Finally, he couldn’t hold off any longer. Every nerve ending was screaming at him to possess her, to drive her to the edge again and to soar over that edge with her wrapped in his arms. He needed to feel her clutching heat surrounding his cock, holding him where he wanted to remain until the day he died. 

Oliver released her breast and reached down to position his cock, slipping through her folds and nudging her clit before pressing against her entrance. He slipped in and it took all his restraint to keep from snapping his hips and filling her with one, sharp thrust. He wanted to take this slow, to draw it out. 

Felicity groaned, her head lolling to the side as he eased inside of her, inch by inch. She was tight, so tight that Oliver had to clench his jaw. She fit him perfectly, pulling him in and there was no place else he’d rather be. Finally, he was seated fully inside of her, their pelvises meeting and he felt a completeness that he’d never felt with another woman. Her walls spasmed, getting accustomed to his entry, welcoming him home inside her body. 

Oliver kissed her shoulder and Felicity moaned. He licked up a trail of sweat and nuzzled his nose underneath her jaw. 

“Oliver…” she moaned. “Move…”

He grinned at her impatient whine. He’d been waiting to hear it. He drew back and pressed in, keeping his strokes steady, hard and slow. The flush on her chest, which had been fading, grew again. Her breasts jiggled with the pump of his hips against hers, but it was slow, so slow, each movement drawn out. Felicity tried to free her wrists from his grasp but he just held her tighter as he kept up his steady thrusting. 

“Oliver!” she cried in frustration. “Please!”

He wanted badly to give in. But not yet. 

He felt like he was on fire himself, his own arousal building and building. He could smell their mingled scents, hear the steady slap of their flash and Felicity’s moans… He ducked his head to watch where his dick disappeared into her body and drew out again, slick with her juices. Fuck, that was hot. 

Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer. He leaned down and kissed her as he slammed into her hard. Then he drew back and did it again, increasing his pace. He swallowed her cries as he thrust his tongue into her mouth much like he was thrusting his cock into her pussy, over and over again. 

Felicity’s wail filled his ears as she raced to her peak and he sped up until his hips were a blur. She flew apart and he released her wrists so she could grab ahold of his back, dig in her nails, and ride out her orgasm, calling his name repeatedly until her voice was hoarse with it. 

Oliver let go moments later, the squeezing of her walls too much to resist and his vision whited out for a moment as he tensed, his dick pulsing inside of her, his cum painting her, marking her. 

“Fucking hell,” he breathed against the damp skin of her neck. 

She chuckled weakly, patting his back, but was breathing too hard to reply. 

He found the strength to pull himself up off of her, his softening dick slipping out of her, and he collapsed to the mattress next to her. His face pressed into the pillow and he could all but hear the pounding of his heart in his ears as he fought to regain himself. 

“Holy shit,” he gasped after a few minutes. “Is it an insult to all the other times we’ve had amazing sex to say that was the _most_ amazing sex we’ve ever had?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t care. Because it’s true,” she said, her voice still hoarse. “I’m not sure what got into you, but I’m here to say… two thumbs way up.”

He grinned into the pillow. 

Finally, he was able to roll to his side and when he did, he reached for her immediately, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Her shapely rear nestled his groin perfectly and Oliver knew it wouldn’t be too long before his desire would take over. But for now, he wanted to fall asleep with the love of his life safe in his arms. 

He pressed a kiss to her ear. “I love you,” he whispered. 

“I love you, too,” she replied softly, She bent her head to press a kiss to his arm before settling even more in his embrace. “Can we just keep doing this forever?”

Oliver hummed sleepily and tightened his arms around her. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I love to hear what people are thinking and if you enjoyed the chapter so if you can, please leave me a comment!
> 
> Reminder: My update schedule is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you want to be notified of updates, please subscribe here on Ao3. Also, keep an eye on my Twitter and Tumblr accounts as I'll announce updates (and maybe other things) there as well!


End file.
